Voldemort's Legacy
by xneseyx
Summary: The 'legacy' a person leaves behind is usually something that they did, or something that they left for future generations, and not usually a person. This is the story of a girl named Legacy, and how she doesn't live up to her parent's expectations. **ON HIATUS**
1. Prologue - 1976-1981

Bellatrix Lestrange, née Black, had joined the Death Eaters soon after she left Hogwarts, and was one of the few females in the group. She was fanatically loyal to Lord Voldemort, and one of the most dangerous and sadistic of his followers. She'd been married to Rodulphus Lestrange as was expected of her, but she bore no affection for him. Her Lord, on the other hand... She'd been raised to despise the Muggles and the MudBloods, and someone had stood up, willing to step in where the rest of the world would not. He was the only one willing to put them in their place. Bellatrix had fallen in love with him for it. When she was summoned to appear before the Dark Lord one evening, she felt excited and nervous at the same time. Was he going to reward her? Or had she done something wrong? She arrived at the door and took a deep breath before entering the room.

"My Lord, what would you have of me?" She asked, her gaze locked on the floor. He pressed his fingers together as he studied her. They sat as such, neither moving, for a number of minutes. Bellatrix, to her credit, did not flinch, did not move, and showed no signs of discomfort, her knees pressed into the cold stone floor.

"I wish to sire an heir, and I find myself in need of someone to bear it for me." He spoke at length, and Bellatrix stiffened.

"If my Lord wishes my aid in selecting a fitting bearer, I would be grateful to assist." Bellatrix spoke the words with a heavy heart. She was married, but her mother had made the match, and the man was a fool. He was dedicated to the Dark Lord, but he was a fool nonetheless.

"There is no need for that, Bellatrix. I have made my choice." As her Lord spoke, she felt her pulse quicken. The Dark Lord rose from his throne and walked towards her. Bellatrix bit her lip, hoping against hope that he had chosen her. She had given everything she had to the cause of her Lord, and now, it appeared she might be rewarded in a way she'd never imagined. "Rise. I have chosen you to be the mother of my child, to bring forth my legacy into the world." Bellatrix knew not to let the smile show on her face, but there was no way she could disguise her pride, so she made no effort to as she rose to her feet.

"My Lord, I am deeply honoured that you have chosen me."

Bellatrix almost ran to her sister, wanting to tell her everything but her Lord had bade Bellatrix hold her tongue.

"I will reveal the existence of the child when I am ready." Instead she returned to her own home, where Rodolphus waited. She squared her shoulders and stepped into her home. Her husband barely acknowledged her presence anymore, only speaking to her on nights when he wanted something, usually for her to perform her wifely duties. When she had asked her Lord about it, he had given her a command.

"You are not to lie with him. If he presses, kill him." Bellatrix almost hoped that the man would try it, just so she wouldn't have to put up with him anymore. Much to her disappointment, the man did not speak to her. She went to her bedroom and locked the door, then readied herself for bed.

Bellatrix had been going to his bed every night for over two months when she felt nauseous upon awakening one morning. She knew that it could be anything, but she hoped that it was a symptom of pregnancy. Over the course of another month, she had no menstruation and was violently ill every morning. When she was summoned to her Lord's chambers that evening, she knelt and awaited permission to speak.

"My Lord, I am with child."

Her Lord hid her away, fearful for the child she carried.

"I do not want you anywhere near fighting. If this child is lost..." The threat was not lost on her. She was shipped off to a private estate and waited on by a troupe of house-elves. Bellatrix did not like the creatures, but they were discreet. She occupied herself with reading, eagerly awaiting her child's arrival. She didn't know it, but hers was an easy pregnancy - the only symptoms she had were morning sickness and sore breasts, along with a voracious and varied appetite. The day she felt contractions, she sent an owl to her Lord. He arrived shortly, a Muggle doctor in tow. She despised having the woman touch her, but Bellatrix understood the need for secrecy. Her daughter was born early in the evening of August twenty-third, 1977. Her child, her Lord's Legacy.

For four years, Bellatrix and Legacy remained spirited away from the world. Her Lord would come by occasionally, and their daughter would stare at him. Legacy had deep blue eyes and her mother's black hair. Two months past her child's fourth birthday she picked up the _Daily Prophet_ that had been delivered that morning. _HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED IS NO MORE_. Bellatrix put a hand on her stomach, feeling as though she was going to be sick. She picked up her child and her cloak, and Apparated to her sister's house.

Narcissa had just put her year-old son down for a nap when Bellatrix threw open the door.

"Bella! Bella, I've missed you! Where have you been?" Narcissa asked, walking towards her. Bellatrix waved the other woman away.

"I have no time for pleasantries, sister. I've just seen the paper." Legacy managed to slip out of Bellatrix's arms and landed on the floor. Before Narcissa could say a word when the door opened again, and Lucius entered the manor.

"Narcissa, I'm afraid that-" He stopped mid-sentence upon seeing Bellatrix in his home. "Bellatrix, we've not seen you for quite some time." He spotted Legacy and frowned.

"This is Legacy. Now, Lucius, you need to tell me - is this true?" Bellatrix tossed him a copy of the /Prophet/, and he caught it.

"Yes. The only thing anyone knows is that he went to Godric's Hollow to kill the Potters, and somehow their boy survived. The Dark Lord is nowhere to be found, and our Marks have faded." Bellatrix hadn't known that, and pulled up her sleeve to look at her forearm. The outlines of her Dark Mark were still there, but it had mostly paled to the colour of her surrounding skin. She growled and pushed her sleeve back down.

"What efforts are being made to locate him?"

"I am unsure. Most of the Death Eaters have left; the Ministry is hunting us down."

"I don't care. We need to find him."

"Bella... what about your daughter?" Narcissa asked.

"If anything should happen to me, and the Dark Lord has not returned..." Bellatrix's eyes fell on the girl. "Then see that she is taken care of." Narcissa nodded, and Bellatrix Dissapparated.

Bellatrix had failed. She'd failed to uncover any whispers of her Lord's whereabouts from the Longbottoms, and it was likely that the Wizard's Court would either kill her or send her to Azkaban. She was in a cell with her husband, Rodolphus, his brother, Rabastan, and the Crouch boy. When they were led into the court room by Dementors, she did not let her fear of the creatures show on her face. She was a Black, and Blacks feared nothing. The Crouch boy was begging his father to not send him back, and Bellatrix despised him for his weakness. The vote was unanimous, the four of them would be returning to Azkaban.

"The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch!" She shouted at the man. "Throw us into Azkaban, we will wait! He will rise again and come for us, he will reward us beyond any of his other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!"

Bellatrix had been allowed to write a letter before they took her to Azkaban. She wrote to her sister, begging that she take care of her child. She learned years later that Narcissa never received the letter.

Dumbledore studied her, this girl Legacy. Bellatrix's plea to send a letter had been granted, but it had merely been an attempt to gather more information from her. Upon reading the contents of the letter, a Ministry official had been dispatched to the Malfoy manor to collect the child and the few items that Bellatrix had left there. There had been a diary, but it had not yielded any information that the Ministry could use. Bellatrix had written about Legacy in it and nothing else, from the time she had discovered her pregnancy until a few days before Voldemort's downfall. From it, they knew that the girl's date of birth, and that she could walk, talk, and had displayed some small signs of magic. She seemed to be getting used to him, but it had been a very long time since he'd spent any time with children as young as her and couldn't tell for sure.

"There isn't a wizarding family out there that would agree to raise Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter." Dumbledore turned his attention back to the men and women around him. The Wizengamot was handling everything that was Death Eater-related, and that had expanded to include Legacy. "It's not something we can ask someone to do."

"Then what do you suggest we do with her, hmm?" One of the other members asked.

"Muggles have places for children to be raised when something like this happens." Dumbledore said, and all eyes turned to him. "I believe that we would do well to take her to one of these facilities."

"You want her to be raised in the Muggle community?" One of them asked, and Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes. If she is raised away from the malice and spite that is Bellatrix, I think she may do well."

"I think that a Memory Charm should be performed on the Malfoys and on us, so that we don't know who she is. She's only a child, she doesn't deserve to have hatred heaped on her because of her mother." One of the few women had spoken up, and Dumbledore was glad. He'd been about to suggest that himself.

"I would like to not have it performed on myself. She will one day have questions, and someone should have answers for her." There was a vote, and it was agreed that Legacy would be taken to an orphanage and that the Malfoys and the Wizengamot have a Memory Charm performed on them, and that Dumbledore would cast them. All of the records that the Wizengamot had that mentioned Legacy were destroyed before Dumbledore performed Memory Charms on the other members.

"Where's Mum?" Legacy asked Dumbledore, tugging on his robes.

"Your mother isn't here, child." He responded, and she began to cry before Dumbledore cast the spell on her.

Dumbledore walked up the stairs to the orphanage and knocked on the door. He gave the child into their care, telling them only her first name and date of birth.

Such was the fate of Legacy Jones, née Lestrange.


	2. Year one

Legacy didn't remember much before she came to the orphanage. When she thought of her parents, she couldn't remember anything. She was four when she arrived at the orphanage, so it was odd that she couldn't remember anything. Some of the other children had never met their parents. She wasn't the only one with a surname provided by the government; there were other other girls named 'Jones' running around the orphanage, and a few boys with the name 'Smith'. When Legacy asked the headmistress about the day she'd been left at the orphanage, Miss Hunter told her that an older gentleman had dropped her off with a letter, and then he'd left. He'd not given his name, and he'd said that he was not a relative. They were given lessons in the orphanage – arithmetic, science, geography, and English, along with some others. Odd things happened around Legacy, and the other children at the orphanage didn't like to spend much time with her. She'd gotten angry at one of the other girls and a window had broken without anyone touching it, and some others had gotten hurt. Other odd things had happened around her, as well – once during football, Legacy's team was getting beaten and she got angry about that, and the football had gotten away from Brandon, one of the boys on the other team, and it then flew into the other teams net. She'd been the closest to the ball at that point, and it was well known that she wasn't very good at sports. So, she'd been blamed for that as well. Legacy didn't mind it much, it gave her more time to read. She always had her nose in a book, trying to learn more. She had the best marks in her class. She didn't much like arithmetic once they passed in the 'useless' subjects, as she considered them, which was anything more than addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. If it wasn't something that she could see herself using when she got older, she considered it useless. She had a few interviews with people looking to adopt, but there were no takers. Legacy snuck into Miss Hunter's office and read the notes and reports from after the interviews, and the couples said that she was 'very quiet', 'very introverted', and 'somber'. Legacy didn't know what that word meant, and looked it up in the dictionary. The dictionary definition was 'a shy person; a person characterized by concern primarily with his or her own thoughts and feelings'. Words associated with it were 'broody' and 'narcissistic'. She looked up the last word, and it said 'inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity.' 'Erotic gratification derived from admiration of one's own physical or mental attributes.' 'Normal condition at the infantile level of personality development.' Legacy was proud of herself, and of how much better she was doing than the other students, but she'd never considered herself better than her peers. She began to try to go out of her way to help the other orphans with their homework, but they wouldn't let her. She continued to try as best as she could, to no avail. Eventually, she gave up on trying to help them. People still tried interviewing her for adoption, for she was a very pretty child. Large, wide-set blue eyes above a slightly up-turned nose, then a wide mouth, all within a heart-shaped face, surrounded by long, raven wing black tresses. She tried to hide her wide forehead with her bangs, but then they just poked her in the eyes. She had high cheekbones and a dominant chin. Her neck was long and slender, and Legacy was tall for her age, and pale. No matter how much time the girl spent in the sun, her skin refused to darken. After meeting her, however, they all left with another child in tow. Legacy refused to change herself just for someone else, and that often caused arguments with the other orphans. If they ever decided to include her in their games, she was usually made a servant or some such, and Legacy wouldn't stand for that. She actually got into a physical altercation with another girl after she said that being a servant was all Legacy was good for, and that she wasn't even any good at that. Legacy and the other girl were called into Miss Hunter's office separately, as well as the others who'd seen what had happened. Legacy was the last. She sat down in the chair across from Miss Hunter.

"Why don't you tell me what happened, Legacy?" she asked, and the woman crossed her arms on the desk.

"The only time the others want me to play with them is if they want someone to play a servant, and I told them that I wasn't going to do it. Jennifer said that it was the only thing I was good for, and that I wasn't any good at it anyway."

"Haven't we taught you that words are better than fists?" Miss Hunter said, sighing.

"Sometimes you have to use your fists, to show people that they can't have their way with everything." Legacy said adamantly.

"You'll never get adopted with an attitude like that." Miss Hunter said.

"If they don't like me, then they don't have to take me home with them." Legacy said.

"Now, Legacy –"

"I'm not finished. I don't want to be like Jennifer. She's just a bully. The others probably told you a different story, anyway. And you always agree with the people who have the same story, so I'm going to be punished."

"That's enough. You're not supposed to interrupt people, it's rude."

"Jennifer's rude all the time, and you always believe her."

"I said, that's enough. Go to your room. You're not to come out except for meals and the toilet, and if there's any more violence, you'll be eating in your room, too."

"I don't want to eat down there with them anyway, so you might as well just send my meals up to my room now. If you don't, I might just go pick a fight just to get you to do that. I don't like the others. They tell stories about me to the new orphans, so that they stay away from me too, and I wouldn't be surprised if they tell stories to the people who come in to adopt, too." Legacy said, standing now.

"Go to your room." Miss Hunter said, pointing at the door. Legacy stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

Legacy laid on her bed in the orphanage she'd called home for the last six years. Her confinement to her room was interrupted only when she asked the chaperone outside if she could go to the toilet, and when her meals were brought to her. Miss Hunter had decided to not risk more violence and agreed to let the girl eat in her room. Legacy was reading a book when there was a knock at the door. She lifted her head as Mirabelle, one of the chaperones, stuck her head in the door.

"Legacy, there's someone here to see you." Mirabelle told her. Legacy's heart jumped into her throat. Was someone finally going to adopt her? She closed the book and grabbed her brush, trying to her unruly hair as Mirabelle left the room. She had just put her brush down when there was another knock on the door. She rushed over and opened the door to see a man unlike any she'd ever seen before. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, both of which were long enough to tuck into his belt. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.

"Hello. Would you like to come in?" Legacy pulled the door open further and gestured towards the only chair in the room. The man went and sat on it, and she climbed up onto the bed. "I'm Legacy, though I suppose you know that already."

"My name is Albus Dumbledore, and I've come a long way to speak with you."

"Is this because of what happened with Annie? Or is it about Jennifer?" Legacy asked.

"Why don't you tell me what happened on both occasions?" Dumbledore asked.

"I'd gotten a doll as a reward for doing so well in my studies, and Annie got jealous and broke it. I got angry and the window behind her broke, pieces flying everywhere. Some of the other kids got hurt, but the glass kind of moved around me."

"What about Jennifer?"

"She invited me to play with her, and the only time they ever do that is if they want someone to play servant. I was tired of it, and told her that I wouldn't do it. She said that I was only good to be a servant, and that I wasn't very good at it anyway. I hit her, and Miss Hunter told me to come to my room. I eat in here, and the only time I leave is to go to the toilet."

"Why would she do that?"

"I told her that if she didn't let me eat in here, I'd pick a fight with someone else. Jennifer's just a bully, and the others aren't any better to me." Legacy said, and Dumbledore sighed.

"Have there been any other odd incidents like the window?"

"A few things." Legacy said, shrugging. "But that's the only one where anyone got hurt."

"Have you ever wondered why you could do these things when the other children couldn't?" Dumbledore asked.

"I don't do anything, weird things just happen around me." Legacy protested.

"But you are doing these things, child. You are a witch."

"I'm not stupid. Is this supposed to be some kind of joke?"

"I don't doubt your intelligence, and I am not joking. I have come to invite you to become a student at my school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Dumbledore reached into a pocket and removed an envelope, holding it towards her. She took it from him, distrust written plainly on her face. She made no move to open it, however.

"Are you a wizard, then?" He nodded. "Prove it." He sighed at the same moment her hairbrush on the dresser turned into a rabbit. Legacy walked towards it and poked the rabbit timidly before she opened the envelope and quickly read the contents. He turned the rabbit back into her hairbrush, but she didn't notice. "Where am I supposed to buy these things? A cauldron, a magic wand…. And I don't have any money."

"You need not worry, there are funds for cases such as your own." Dumbledore peered at her over his half-moon glasses. "Am I to take this for acceptance of my offer?"

"Yes, sir. I would very much like to go to this school of yours." Legacy said, bouncing in excitement.

"In two weeks' time, someone will collect you to do your shopping, and afterwards you will board the train for Hogwarts. I will see you there." When Dumbledore left, Legacy read over the letter again and pinched herself to make sure that this was real, and not a dream.

Legacy spent the next two weeks in agony. She had packed and repacked her few belongings, and now knew the letter by heart. The other children were glad that she was leaving, and even some of the chaperones were, but they didn't say it. On the much-anticipated day Legacy picked up her few things and bounded down the stairs and out the door. Not long afterwards a tall, thin man walked towards her. He was mostly bald, but the little hair he had was fiery read.

"Hello there, young lady. I'm looking for Legacy Jones." He asked, and she smiled.

"That's me, sir. Are you a friend of Mr Dumbledore's?"

"Arthur Weasley. And yes, we were sent by to bring you with us. Oh, and he asked that I give you this." Arthur handed her a pouch, and Legacy looked inside it. It was filled with coins, but not like she'd ever seen. "The bronze ones are Knuts, the silver ones are Sickles, and the gold ones are Galleons." Legacy put the pouch inside the purse that Mirabelle had given her as a parting gift. "There are twenty-nine Knuts in a Sickle, and seventeen Sickled in a Galleon. If you have a hard time remembering, just ask." Arthur Weasley smiled at her and patted her shoulder.

"Thank you, Mr Weasley." She said.

"None of that, now. It's Arthur." Legacy smiled up at him and nodded, and he gestured for her to follow him. Around the corner was a woman with a group of red-haired children.

"Molly, children! This is Miss Legacy Jones. We'll be taking her to Diagon Alley with us. Legacy, this is my wife Molly, and our children. Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny." He identified each of the children in turn. Charlie was the oldest there at sixteen, and Percy was only a year older than her. Fred and George were a year younger, Ron was two years younger, and Ginny was three years younger. "Fred and George are twins. We have another son, but he's graduated already." Legacy simply nodded, feeling shy all of a sudden.

On the way to Diagon Alley, Fred and George walked on either side of her.

"So... Legacy. That's an interesting name." The boy on her right said.

"Did the orphanage give you your name?" The boy on her left asked. Legacy shook her head.

"When I was left here, all I had was a first name and a birth date. No one even knows what happened to my parents." She looked from one boy to the other. "How does anyone tell you two apart?" She asked.

"Don't worry about it. Mum and Dad mix us up all the time. But for now, right side is Fred, left side is George." Fred told her. Legacy nodded.

"So how did you find out about Hogwarts?" George asked her. She told them about the visit that Dumbledore had paid her, and they seemed in awe.

"Dumbledore just knocked on your door and said 'hi, I'm a wizard and you're a witch'?" Fred asked, dumbfounded. Legacy laughed.

"Not like that, he didn't." Ahead of them, Arthur had stopped and pulled a stick out of his pocket. "What's that stick he's holding?" She asked George.

"That's his wand. You have to use it and tap the bricks right to get the wall to move." He told her. Before she could ask anything else, they bricks started folding out of the way to reveal a shopping market, filled to bursting with people. Legacy pushed to the front and looked around, completely enthralled by everything she saw. Everywhere she looked there was something that she'd never thought was possible. Arthur walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Come along, Legacy. Let's go get your things." They stopped at the robes shop first, and Arthur chatted amiably with Madam Malkim.

"Weasley, what's this one? Not one of your brood, not with these black locks." The woman asked, taking Legacy's measurements.

"She's an orphan, and Dumbledore asked that we bring her along while we do our own shopping." Arthur explained. Madam Malkim shook her head.

"It's a sad thing when a child has no parents. Like that Potter boy. But from what I hear, he's been living with his family." They continued to chat, and Legacy found herself wondering who 'that Potter boy' was. She tried asking Arthur about it, but he was tight-lipped. Charlie tapped Legacy's shoulder, and she turned around.

"Once we're on the train, we'll tell you everything we know about it, ok?" He promised, and Legacy nodded. They continued down the list, until only the wand shop was left.

"Getting your own wand is a unique and special experience. You go in on your own, Legacy." Arthur told her, nudging her up the steps. Legacy nodded and walked through the door, a bell ringing over her head as it closed behind her. She waited for a moment, and no one came down to see her. She looked around the store, and picked up a wand. Nothing happened, so she put it back down, slightly confused. Legacy looked around the room again and saw a long, thin box on the floor, almost hiding under one of the wand cabinets. She walked over and knelt down, pulling out the box. Inside of it was a deep red wand, and Legacy picked it up.

"What are you doing, child?" A voice shouted from behind her. She spun around, and sparks started flying from the wand tip. Startled, she dropped the wand on the floor, making a slight _thunk_ on the floor. She looked back to where the voice had come from, and an old man stood there, staring at her.

"I apologize sir; I didn't mean to do anything wrong." She looked back at the wand. "I hope I didn't break it or anything." He walked towards her and picked up the wand, examining it.

"Ten inches. Cherry wood and dragon heartstring." He looked back at her. "What is your name, girl?" She swallowed and found her courage.

"My name is Legacy Jones, sir. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She extended her hand and he accepted it, chuckling.

"Ollivander. Maker of wands." His gaze dropped back to the wand in his hand. "How much do you know about wands, child?"

"Not much, Mr Ollivander sir. I just found out about them this morning." She frowned slightly. "Why? Is that wand bad or something?" Ollivander put the wand back in the box and put it on the counter.

"Cherry wood wands are very powerful wands, child. Partnered with dragon heartstring, even more so." He turned back around to face her. "But, no matter. The wand chooses the wizard, as it always has been."

"What does that mean?" She asked.

"It means that if a wizard uses someone else's wand and not their own, they won't get the same results as they would with their own wand."

He led her to the counter where she paid for her purchase, then she went outside.

"That wasn't very long." Arthur commented.

"This was the second wand I picked up." Legacy told him. "He hadn't even come around from the back yet." Arthur chuckled.

"So?" He looked at her expectantly. "Oh, yes, I forget. You're not from a wizarding family. What's your wand?"

"Ten inches, cherry wood, dragon heartstring." Legacy told him, proud that she remembered. Arthur smiled then turned to the boys.

"Come, let's get back to your mother. We need to get going." They left Diagon Alley and made their way to the King's Cross station, where Platform 9 3/4 was supposed to be. Legacy had never heard of it, but she trusted Arthur. After one of the boys ran into a wall, Arthur explained how it worked. She was the last one to go through. Before she could start running, Arthur laid his hand on her shoulder.

"How would you like to come to our house for summer?" He asked. A brilliant smile lit up her face.

"Really? I wouldn't have to go back to the orphanage? I mean, I like it well enough, but the children there are boring, and they don't seem to like me very well." Legacy explained quickly.

"I'll talk to Molly, but I think she'll agree. And I think that Ginny would like to have another girl running around." Legacy was bouncing with excitement.

"I would love that." Arthur stood and patted her back.

"I'll not keep you longer. You'll miss the train at this rate." Legacy nodded and ran towards the wall, where the Weasley boys were waiting for her. They boarded the train and found an empty compartment, where they all settled in.

Charlie kept his promise and explained everything about Voldemort. Legacy kept forgetting to call him 'You-Know-Who', it all sounded very silly to her. Charlie tried to tell her everything that she might need to know about living in the wizarding world. Afterwards, they started talking about Hogwarts itself, and the different houses.

"All of us Weasleys are in Gryffindor." Percy said proudly. Legacy smiled.

"I hope I get put there too, then. I don't want to be around all strangers." The conversation died out after a while, and Legacy stared out of the window.

"Something on your mind?" Charlie asked her. Legacy shrugged.

"Not really. I mean, I've never really had friends before. The other children didn't like me much, they thought that I was weird. They were never mean to me, they just played with each other and not so much with me." They were interrupted by the trolley lady, and Legacy bought nearly everything she had with her.

"It's not nice to flaunt your money like that." Percy said petulantly.

"What's a flaunt?" She asked him, genuinely curious.

"Are you really that stupid?" Percy asked her.

"I thought that friends shared with each other. I'm not going to eat all this by myself. And if that makes me stupid, then I'll just share with Charlie instead." She looked at her pile of treats and selected one. "Charlie, what's a Chocolate Frog? It's not a real frog, right?"

"They look like frogs, but they're enchanted to hop around and act like real frogs, except they don't eat bugs." Charlie explained.

"I'm sorry, Legacy." Percy said. "Our family… I'm used to being teased a lot by other kids about certain things, and I just assumed you were doing the same." Legacy smiled brightly at him.

"Here, take something. I wasn't kidding, if I eat all this I'm gonna be sick." The rest of the ride went by quickly. Charlie reminded them all to change, and Legacy stepped into the hall while they were changing, and they provided the same favour for her. When the train stopped, the platform was flooded with students.

"The first years go with Hagrid, he's just over there." Charlie pointed towards a tall man carrying a lamp. "The rest of us go this way. We'll see you at the feast."

"Good luck, Legacy!" Percy smiled and the two brothers walked away, leaving her standing in the middle of the platform. She watched them a moment before walking towards the man Charlie had pointed out. He was twice as tall as a normal man, and at least five times as wide. He had long tangles of bushy black hair and beard which hid most of his face, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair. He had hands the size of dustbin lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins.

"First years! First years, over here." He was shouting, and waving his arms. "First years come with me. Any more first years?" Looking around, he must have decided there weren't any more, because he turned and led them down a narrow path which ended at the lake. "No more than four to a boat." Hagrid was pointing towards a small fleet of boats sitting in the water by the shore. "If everyone looks up, you'll get your first sight of Hogwarts." Perched atop a high mountain on the other side of the lake, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. Hagrid prodded the students into the boats and then climbed into his own. "Everyone sat down? All right." The boats moved all at once, heading across the inky lake towards the castle. Legacy didn't hear anything as she gazed up at the castle. Somehow, seeing it had helped to calm her nerves. She lost sight of the castle as the boats proceeded down a dark tunnel which seemed to be taking them right beneath the castle. They reached an underground harbor of sorts and the boats stopped. Legacy quickly got out of the boat and stood with the other students to wait as Hagrid double checked the boats to see that nothing had been left behind. He led them up a passageway carved into the rock and came out on the grass in the shadow of the castle. They walked up the stone steps, and Hagrid pounded on the door of the castle. A tall, black-haired witch with a stern face opened the door immediately. Seeing Hagrid, she opened the door wider.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take the students from here." The woman led them further into the castle before turning to speak to them. "Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most will be awarded the House Cup. Now, form a line and follow me." The woman watched as they bumped and jostled each other for a place, and then turned on her heel and led them through the large doors ahead of them. Legacy was awestruck by the sight. There were candles floating in the air, and as she looked up, the ceiling wasn't there. Where the ceiling was supposed to see was the blanket of night, peppered with stars. Suddenly the line stopped, and she accidentally bumped into the student in front of her.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed. "Are you all right?" The student turned around and smiled at her.

"It's not a problem." He replied. He was tall with chiseled features, dark hair and bright grey eyes. The boy extended his hand. "Cedric Diggory." Legacy smiled and accepted his hand.

"Legacy Jones."

"That's a pretty name." Legacy blushed, but before she could reply the woman they'd followed into the room began speaking again.

"Now, when I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head," She lifted a broad-brimmed hat from the stool beside her, "And you will be sorted into your houses." The woman unfurled a parchment she held in her hand. "Kenneth Towler." One of the boys walked to the stool and sat down.

"How does the _hat_ put you into your House?" Legacy whispered to Cedric, who only shrugged.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted. The boy rose from the stool amidst clapping and cheers, and made his way over to one of the tables.

"Lucian Bole."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Patricia Stimpson."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Peregrine Derrick."

"SLYTHERIN!" As the boy ran down the stage, Cedric turned to Legacy.

"So what house do you think you'll get into?" He asked her.

"I don't know. I have to admit, I don't know a lot about this." She waved a hand at the room, and he smiled at her.

"That's okay. So your parents are Muggles?"

"I don't know. I was raised in an orphanage in London." His smile vanished instantly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." She met his gaze.

"It's okay, you're right. You didn't know."

"Cedric Diggory." The woman called his name, and Legacy smiled at him.

"Good luck!" She whispered. He returned her smile before mounting the stairs and sitting on the stool.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat shouted. Cedric stood and walked towards one of the tables.

"Legacy Jones." As she walked up the stairs she decided to watch her feet so she wouldn't trip over them and embarrass herself. She settled onto the stool, and the Sorting Hat was lowered onto her head.

_Hmm._ The voice in her head surprised her.

"You can speak? Inside my head, I mean." Legacy asked.

_Yes. But you would do better to not speak out loud, lest you wish to make a fool of yourself._ Legacy blushed and clapped a hand over her lips.

_So... what are you thinking?_

_This is difficult. You would do well in any house. Smart, brave. A thirst for knowledge. But I think you would do best in_ "GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted. She hopped off the chair and made her way over to where Charlie was sitting. The rest of the ceremony passed rather quickly, and they got to eat. After the meal, Charlie stood and extended Legacy a hand.

"Come on, I'll show you around."

Legacy loved Hogwarts. Everything was so different. The people in the paintings moved, and they would talk to you. She was also convinced that the sets of armor could walk, but she hadn't seen any move yet. The staircases moved, too. It was better than she could have dreamed. The classes were fun, too. She shared classes with students in other houses, and was fast friends with Cedric. He was funny, and smart. She looked forward to Herbology every day when she could see him. She got along with the professors reasonably well, and tried to stay out of trouble. _Tried_ being the operative word. She was inquisitive, and she wanted to explore everywhere. She got lost a few times, and if it wasn't for the portraits that lined nearly every hall in the castle, she would have stayed lost until someone found her.

Legacy's curiosity had gotten the better of her yet again, and that was how she found herself in Filch's office. Argus Filch was the school caretaker, and he was a grouch. She had been wandering the halls past curfew again, trying to see if she could catch one of the armor sets walking when she'd run into Filch. He hauled her down to his office and then he'd marched off to find Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor house. She was sitting in a chair when one of the drawer's on Filch's desk caught her eye. It was labeled 'Confiscated and Highly Dangerous'. She hurried over and opened the drawer. It was filled with all sorts of strange objects, but the one that caught her eye was a blank piece of parchment. She picked it up and before she could look at it, she heard voices coming from the hall. She quickly stashed it in a pocket and closed the drawer before returning to her seat. She received a detention and Gryffindor was docked ten points, but she was more interested in returning to her dorm and investigating her parchment.

A few weeks into the school year, Professor McGonagall stopped her in the hallway.

"Miss Jones, Professor Dumbledore would like to see you." Legacy felt a mixture of happiness and dread run through her body. She would be happy to speak to him again, but she didn't know if she was being called upon because if she was in trouble or not. McGonagall led her down a hallway and stopped at an eagle statue. Legacy looked at the woman, waiting for something to happen. "Chocolate bonbons." McGonagall said with a wave of her hands, and the statue started to move upwards, pulling along a spiral staircase. Legacy hopped on just behind the eagle, and waited for it to reach the top. She stepped off the staircase and walked into the office. It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious instrument stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. Standing on a golden perch was the most beautiful bird she'd ever seen. It was a crimson bird the size of a swan, with a glittering golden tail as long as a peacock's and gleaming golden talons. Legacy was enthralled by it.

"I see you've met Fawkes." Dumbledore was sitting at an enormous, claw-footed desk across from the door she'd just come through.

"What is he?" Legacy asked, and Dumbledore smiled at the bird.

"Fawkes is a phoenix. Fascinating creatures; they can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly _faithful_ pets. But that's not why you're here." His bright blue gaze fell on her, and his eyes twinkled in amusement. "I hear you've been quite the handful for Mr Finch, young lady. Wandering the halls at night?" Legacy blushed and tried to explain.

"This place is so big, and I want to explore it all. Besides, I want to find out if the armor walks around at night like people say it does." Dumbledore chuckled.

"How did you like the Weasleys?" He asked next.

"They were so nice to me! Arthur already asked if I wanted to spend the summer over at their house. I mean, it's not like I didn't like the orphanage, the chaperones and them were nice enough, but I don't miss the other kids, they weren't very nice to me. Charlie has been very nice to me, he's showed me where all the classes are, and he showed me how to get to our tower the first night." Legacy shrugged. She recounted their day in Diagon Alley. "...Mr Ollivander picked up my wand from where it fell, and he was able to tell me exactly which one it was right away, and that really surprised me. He told me about how wands pick people, and if you use someone else's wand something bad might happen." She smiled brightly at the headmaster.

"What did he tell you about the wand itself?"

"Its ten inches, made out of cherry wood, and the core is dragon heartstring." Dumbledore's face paled and he extended his hand.

"Give me your wand. Now." His tone of voice brooked no argument, and Legacy handed it over. As Dumbledore studied it, she began to speak again.

"Mr Ollivander says he remembers every wand he ever sold, and all the faces that went with them. I wonder if my parents had magic, and if he'd remember them too? But without any names or anything, it wouldn't do much to ask him. And what does a wand say about a person, really? He said that the wand chooses the wizard, and I've asked around, and all anybody says is 'wandlore is complicated'. But then I'd know whether or not I'm a Muggle-born. It wouldn't make any difference to me, but it might be nice to know something about my parents. But I like it here. I'm making a few friends. The kids are way nicer here than the ones that were in the orphanage." She tapped her chin with a finger as she thought. "I wonder if it had something to do with not having parents. But that doesn't make sense, because there are people here that are rude, and I think I'm the only orphan." She looked into the bright blue eyes of the older man. "Sir, is everything okay? I mean, I know I talk a lot, but if I'm bothering you or distracting you or something, I can go."

"What else did he tell you about your wand?" He spoke so quietly Legacy almost didn't hear him.

"He said that the cherry was powerful, and mixed with the dragon heartstring it was even more." He waved Legacy's wand and some sparks flew out the tip.

"Your wand has been behaving properly?"

"Yes, sir. I'm learning very quickly. I like the classes, they're really cool. My favourite is Potions and Transfiguration, so far. Professor Snape isn't always the nicest, but except for Professor McGonagall his classes are always the quietest. I think some of the other students are afraid of him." While Legacy had been speaking Dumbledore had cast some small spells with her wand, and there were shiny pink-tinged bubbles floating around the room, and there were also some mice on the floor now. She accepted her wand back from Dumbledore and frowned slightly. "Sir, is there something wrong with my wand?" Dumbledore steepled his fingers and studied her before answering.

"A wand can say quite a bit about a person, actually, to answer your earlier question. A person with a wand made of spruce is usually a bold spell-caster with a good sense of humour. A person with a cedar wand has strength of character and great loyalty, and carries the potential to be a frightening adversary. Cherry wood is a very rare wand wood that makes for a wand of strange power. You should dispel from your mind any notion that the pink blossom of the living tree makes for a frivolous or merely ornamental wand, for cherry wood often makes a wand that possesses truly lethal power, regardless of the core." Legacy looked down at her wand, thinking. "I am quite surprised that Ollivander even has one, especially paired the way it is."

"If I may ask, sir, why are you so surprised?" Legacy asked, still looking at her wand.

"Dragon heartstrings produce wands with the most power, and they are capable of the most plamboyant spells, as well as learning somewhat faster than other types. The dragon wand tends to be the easiest to turn to the Dark Arts, but it will not do that on its own. It is the most prone of the three typical wandcores – unicorn hair, phoenix feather, and dragon heartstring – to accidents, being somewhat temperamental. It also tends to be lethally hazardous when combined with certain woods…. Such as cherry wood." He looked down at the wand in her hand. Legacy held it out in front of her as though she expected it to bite her. "This combination should never be paired with a wizard – or, a witch, in this case – without exceptional self-control and strength of mind."

"Then why did it pick me?" Legacy asked, at a loss.

"Wandlore is a very complicated branch of magic." He leaned back in his chair. "I wanted to see how you were settling in here. I am glad to hear that you are getting along with the Weasleys so well. Have a good day, Legacy." Know she wasn't going to get any more of an answer than that, she turned and walked down the stairs.

Legacy hid herself in the back corner of the library, where she would be able to hear if anyone was coming. She finally had ample opportunity to investigate her parchment. She unfolded it, looked over it both top and bottom and saw nothing. She tapped it carefully with her wand a few times, and still nothing happened.

"Well this is no good." She said, dropping her wand on the parchment. Just as she did so, she saw something on the parchment. She quickly snatched up her wand, ensuring that she'd not harmed it or the parchment. "Not good? No good?" When nothing happened she touched her wand to it and repeated herself. There! A swirl of ink darted across the surface. "I am not good? I am no good?" A little bit better, that time. She heard footsteps and quickly hid the parchment, picking up a book instead. Cedric popped his head around the corner.

"Hey, there you are." He greeted her. She smiled at him as he sat down beside her. "What are you doing in the back of the library?" He asked her.

"It's quieter back here, less likely to be disturbed." She told him. Legacy had always prided herself on never lying.

"If I'm bothering you-" Cedric made to stand up, but Legacy put her hand on his arm.

"You're not bothering me. I was starting to get lonely anyway." He sat back down and reached into his bag.

"Hey, did you start..." They were comparing their classes that they didn't share, and comparing progress and helping each other with their homework when Madam Pince came around the corner.

"Children, you'd best be off. You don't want to miss dinner." They left the library and walked towards the Great Hall, swapping childhood stories. They parted ways at the door, and Legacy sat near Charlie and Percy.

"I never thought you'd be into Hufflepuff." Charlie said, turning to her. Legacy frowned slightly and bit her bottom lip. She knew that Charlie was teasing her, but she didn't understand the joke.

"Ok. I'm all out. What's the joke?" She finally asked him. Percy laughed condescendingly, and Legacy glared at him.

"You seem to be spending a lot of time with that Diggory boy." Charlie tried again, and Legacy nodded.

"We met at the Sorting Ceremony. I was distracted and I kind of walked on him, and we started talking." She explained.

"He's teasing you." Percy said, laughing. "About liking that Hufflepuff boy." Legacy scrunched her nose.

"Nonsense. We're friends, and we help each other with our homework. Besides, boys are silly." Percy and Charlie both laughed at that, and Legacy decided to ignore them and get eating.

As the Christmas holidays drew near some students were preparing to head home for the holidays. Legacy was trying to find suitable gifts for people, and she was having a hard time of it. She decided to try and make things. After class one day she approached Snape. Snape was a bit scary, and sometimes he looked at her oddly. Legacy wondered if she reminded him of someone.

"Professor, I was wondering if you might be able to help me with something."

"You could not have asked during class?" He asked. He sounded grumpy. Snape /always/ sounded grumpy, though.

"I was embarrassed." Legacy admitted. That got his attention. He put his quill down and looked up at where she stood in front of his desk.

"I don't know if I would be the most qualified person to talk to, Jones."

"But you're the potions teacher. I thought that you would be the only person to ask." Legacy had a puzzled look on her face.

"It depends on the potion you're trying to make." Snape told her. Legacy smiled and pulled a list out of her pocket, handing it to Snape. He perused the list and looked back at her.

"I think we might be able to do this."

On Christmas morning, all of Legacy's teachers found a bottle with a note from her on it, thanking each of them for all the help they'd given, as well as a small description of the contents of the bottle. The female teachers had a body/hand potion, and the men had cologne in varying scents. So did Cedric, and all the Weasleys. Snape found a box and the following letter:

_Dear Professor Snape._

_Should I be calling you dear? I don't know. I don't want to scratch it out, so it's staying there. Thank you for your help, because I probably wouldn't have gotten it done on my own. I know you have your 'scary guy' reputation to keep, so I won't tell anyone. Please don't tell anyone this next part, either. I snuck into the kitchen one night and got caught by one of those little elf-guys down there. I told him about what I was doing, so he helped me out. Look in the box! I hope you like them, and that you're not allergic or anything._

_Legacy Jones._

He opened the box, and it was filled to the brim with chocolate chip cookies. Snape laughed to himself and sat down to mark some assignments, reaching for a cookie.

After Christmas, Legacy hid herself nearly every day in the library. She was determined to discover the mystery of the parchment. She'd taken to propping up a book and reading aloud in hopes that something in the book would help.

" 'I solemnly swear that I will uphold'- Oh!" Legacy had seen more ink blossom on the parchment, but it quickly faded. "I solemnly swear... that I am no good?" Legacy started to see words form, but she didn't have the whole phrase. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good?" Ink began to appear on the parchment, and Legacy could read what it said.

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs_

_Purveyor of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers_

_Are proud to present_

_THE MARAUDER'S MAP_

Legacy unfolded the parchment, and it was a map... A magical map of Hogwarts. She could tell where everyone was, all the time. It showed her secret passageways and places she'd not found yet. This meant that there wouldn't be any more points taken from Gryffindor because of her night time wanderings, and no more time in Mr Filch's grubby little office. She smiled broadly. Now all she had to do was figure out how to turn the thing off…..

The rest of the year sped by. Before Legacy knew it, exams were being written and people were packing to go home. Legacy had done extremely well at all of her exams, doing the best in Potions. Legacy packed up her few belongings, and decided when she went to Diagon Alley that summer she was going to buy her own owl. Legacy climbed onto the train with Charlie and Cedric in tow. On the way back to London, the four of them told stories and laughed. When they arrived in London, Legacy made Cedric promise to write. Cedric ran off to find his parents, and Legacy, Charlie and Percy began to look for the rest of the Weasleys. Arthur saw them first and waved. They saw him, and headed in that direction.

"How was school this year? Thank you, Legacy, for the thoughtful gift." Molly said. Legacy blushed and said nothing. "Arthur and I talked to each other, and I would love to have you come over for the summer." Legacy smiled broadly.

"If it wouldn't be any trouble for you, then yes, I'd love to come and stay. I'd rather come over than go back to the orphanage; I can't exactly tell them where I've been all year."

"Then let's go home."


	3. Year two

The Burrow was unlike anything that Legacy had ever seen before. It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigsty, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several storeys high and so crooked it looked as though it was held up by magic, which was very likely. Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof, and a lopsided sign near the entrance read 'The Burrow'. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard. There was a ghoul in the attic, gnomes in the garden and a large pasture that was used as a Quidditch pitch.

"It's not much, but it's home." Molly said, opening the door.

"Are you kidding? I love it!" Legacy declared. Legacy was settled in Ginny's room, and then she went to explore her new surroundings.

Legacy laughed more in that summer than she had her whole life, it seemed. She laughed at the pranks that Fred and George played (even the ones played on her), she laughed at the gnomes, she even laughed at the ghoul. She answered all the questions that Arthur had about Muggle objects, and Molly even taught her to cook some. There had only been one issue that summer. When she woke one morning and went to make the bed, it had been covered in blood. She ran down the stairs and found Molly in the kitchen.

"Molly, I need to talk to you." Legacy didn't step into the kitchen, the whole family was seated at the table.

"What is it, dear?" Molly asked. She wiped her hands and stepped towards her, and Legacy beckoned her further.

"I don't know for sure." Legacy told Molly what she'd found, and the woman smiled slightly before explaining. Legacy felt stupid now for not knowing what the blood was. Molly told her she was 'becoming a woman'. Legacy didn't know if she liked becoming a woman. So far, it was just messy and painful. Legacy reached over and gave her a hug.

"I hope my mom was like you." Legacy told her. Molly turned around and hugged her back, tears in her eyes.

She received three letters from Cedric, and she sent her letters back with the same owl. When their school letters came, Legacy was happy to note that hers was bound together with those of the Weasleys. When they went to Diagon Alley Legacy reminded herself that she wanted her own owl.

"Legacy!" She turned around and saw Cedric running towards her. They'd both gained a few inches over the summer, and Cedric was wearing his dark hair longer.

"Cedric!" She laughed as she ran towards her friend. Legacy dragged him over to meet the Weasleys, but it turned out that they already knew each other, even lived in the same area. She was able to meet Mr and Mrs Diggory, and tried to make a good impression.

"I'm going to get an owl of my own this year, instead of borrowing Mum's and Dad's." Cedric informed her, his chest puffed out.

"I want to get one this year, too." She turned back to the Weasleys. "Charlie! Can you come with us? I don't know my way around very well yet, and I don't want to get lost." Charlie joined them, and they walked towards the pet store.

"What kind of owl do you want to get?" Cedric asked her.

"I don't know yet." Legacy shrugged. "The prettiest one I can find!" The three of them entered the Eeylops Owl Emporium, and Legacy looked around in awe. It was dark inside, and the owls were hooting at one another. She walked over to one of the small owls, and it nipped her finger. "Are small owls generally grumpy?" She asked. Charlie shrugged, and Cedric didn't hear her. Legacy walked past the cages, looking at the owls. A white one with brown stripes caught her eye, and she stopped to examine it.

"That one's a barred owl. He's got a bit of a temper, lassie." She turned around to see the store proprietor behind her.

"He's pretty." She told him, and he laughed.

"Well, let's see if he likes you." The man leaned passed her and opened the cage. The owl leaned forward, then hopped out of the cage. "He's a big one, one of the biggest ones of his breed I've ever seen." The owl hopped around on the floor and Legacy knelt. "He's twenty-four inches with a wingspan of forty-eight inches." The owl turned his chocolate gaze to rest on her and studied her. He flapped his wings and landed on her shoulder, much to Legacy's amusement. He tilted his head and nuzzled her cheek before the store owner picked up the owl and put him back in his cage. "We can't have him doing that, lassie. Not with them claws as he's got. He'll tear you open." The man looked down at her. "You got any of these at home?" He asked, nodding towards the cages.

"I grew up in a Muggle orphanage." She explained.

"Huh. He don't usually take to strangers at all. If you want him, I'll give him to you for half price. What you think of that?" She jumped up from the floor and clapped her hands together.

"Really? Thank you sir! Thank you!" Cedric took a while longer to select his owl, and they left the store. He'd chosen a barn owl, and they were debating names.

"What about Moony?" Cedric asked, and his owl shrieked.

"See? Even she doesn't like it." Legacy laughed. "Do you know who Artemis is?" Cedric shook his head. "She was the Greek goddess of the hunt, children, virginity, and the moon."

"That sounds appropriate." Charlie commented, and Cedric nodded.

"You're right. But what about him, Legacy?" Cedric nodded towards the cage she carried. Legacy smiled.

"Ares was the Greek god of war, and the man said he has a temper, so how about that?"

"He doesn't seem that grumpy to me... Hey!" Charlie had stuck a finger in the cage, and the owl had shrieked at him, his feathers standing on end. "Okay then, I think Ares will be just fine." Charlie conceded. They made their way back to where they'd left everyone, and completed the rest of their shopping before heading to the train station. Percy left to find his own friends, and so did Charlie. Legacy was a bit sad to see him go, but turned to Cedric and the twins.

"Let's go find a seat before we have to share with someone else." They boarded the train and found an empty compartment. For the entire train ride they swapped stories about summer break. They pulled in to Hogwarts, and Legacy bade the twins goodbye. She and Cedric followed everyone else to carriages that moved on their own. It was a bit of a different experience, entering the Great Hall as a second year and not a first year. Cedric waved before heading to the Hufflepuff table, and Legacy moved towards the Gryffindor one. She sat down and chatted with some of her friends from last year before McGonagall entered the Hall with the new first years trailing her like a mother quail with her chicks. The Sorting Ceremony began, and they got a few new students. Legacy knew where Fred and George were going, but it was still a relief to hear the hat shout "GRYFFINDOR!" After dinner and the ceremony she made her way up to the Gryffindor common room. She went up the stairs to the second year dorm and found her bed. She didn't see Ares anywhere and began to worry before she remembered that Hogwarts had an Owlery. She only hoped that Ares didn't fight any of the other owls or any students. She climbed into bed and soon fell asleep.

Over the summer she had finally discovered the phrase to turn the map off, and was very glad. She didn't want to have it confiscated, and if someone saw that it was a map, she'd likely be in heaps of trouble. She hadn't shared it with anyone yet, and after the twins cost them a ton of points within their first month, she decided that sharing would be extremely prudent. She walked down into the Great Hall and walked towards them.

"Fred! George! I have to show you something!"

"We're eating..." Fred said. Legacy plopped down on the bench beside him, a small pout on her lips.

"Fine. I guess I'll have to keep the best tool for pranksters all to myself." George's eyes widened.

"We're listening." He said.

"I can't show you here, in front of everyone else. I don't want it to get confiscated, because it probably will." The boys quickly finished their food and followed her from the hall. On the way back to the library she told them about how she'd gotten it, and how she'd finally figured out how to work it. They sat down at Legacy's table in the back, and she spread the map out for the boys to see.

"This is like a dream come true." Fred said.

"I can't believe you're showing us this." George added.

"Well, now it's up to you two to teach me how to pull pranks." Legacy smiled, and the boys wore a pair of matching grins.

Legacy, Fred and George studied the map, learning all the secret passageways and passwords. Some lead to other parts of the castle, and some lead outside, and others still would take you right off the castle grounds. They left those ones alone for now, seeing as they didn't want to get into too much trouble. They pranked nearly every teacher, but Legacy drew the line at Dumbledore.

"No pranks on Dumbledore. And please, only nice pranks. I don't ever want to see McGonagall with anything but her normal hair from now on, please. Students are fair game." They were horrible to Mr Filch and Mrs Norris. Legacy wasn't always in on all of the pranks, but she laughed just as hard as they did afterwards. She was beginning to feel like she belonged somewhere, like she had a home that wasn't the orphanage.

Christmas came and passed, and Legacy was astounded with the amount of gifts she'd received. She'd given out much the same thing as she had the year before, and Snape had even stopped her in the hall to thank her quietly for the cookies. Legacy had only smiled and nodded, keeping to her promise. She also gained a greater knowledge of the school thanks to the Marauder's Map, and she found all sorts of magical items gathering dust, mainly old spellbooks. She would occasionally pick one up and browse through it, gaining a knowledge of magic beyond her years.

Legacy was in an argument with Percy. She couldn't figure out why was bothering her, they'd gotten along fine that summer. They were in the Great Hall and Legacy had been studying when Percy had started the fight.

"Percy, just shut up! I'm trying to study."

"Don't tell me to shut up! And if you need to study, you must be really stupid." He sneered at her. "Maybe you're not an orphan. Maybe your parents realized how stupid you are and just dropped you off at the orphanage!" Percy had shouted the last part, and every eye in the hall was on them. Legacy had never been more angry and hurt before in her life. Percy had crossed a line. She drew her wand and pointed it at him.

"_Levicorpus_!" She shouted at him. Percy was lifted into the air unceremoniously by his ankles, and he started shouting at her some more. "_Silencio_." She flicked her wand at him, and his voice stopped. He remained there for a minute or two until Snape walked over.

"_Liberacorpus_." Percy fell to the ground, and when Snape flicked his wand again Percy began to speak.

"Professor, she attacked me!"

"Do you take me for a fool? I saw all of it. Twenty points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable git." Percy glared at Legacy, but she met his gaze. He eventually turned and stormed away. "Jones, if you would follow me." Legacy closed her book and put it in her bag, then ran to catch up to Snape.

"I'm sorry, sir. I know that I shouldn't have attacked him, but he made me more mad then I've ever been before."

"Where did you learn that spell?" He asked her.

"I found a room with old spellbooks, and I started reading them. Some of them had writing in the margins, detailing spells that I think they created. I have the book right here." Legacy removed the book in question from her bag and offered it to Snape. He didn't take it.

"Because of your honesty, I will do nothing. But if there is a spell without any details, or if you have other questions, come to me before you decide to test it on Weasley."

"I'm not in trouble?" Legacy asked.

"Not with me." Snape shrugged. "McGonagall may think differently. I will write a note for you, telling her what happened. And I would recommend not telling the other teachers where you got these new spells, or these rooms will likely be locked in the future. You may go now." Legacy put the book back in her bag and walked away. Charlie ambushed her on the way to the Gryffindor tower.

"Percy said you attacked him in the Great Hall!" Charlie shouted at her.

"Percy also said that I was so stupid my parents left me at the orphanage! Did he tell you that?" Legacy shouted back. Charlie's face paled.

"No, he didn't. I'm sorry, Legacy."

"I don't know what his problem is." Legacy shook her head. "I'm going to go see Ares." She walked away from Charlie and headed up the stairs. The Owlery was one of the highest rooms in the tower, and it took a long time in the winter. Legacy got sick of slipping so she pulled out her wand.

"_Incendio_." She melted all of the snow and ice off of the staircase and finally made it to the top. Ares recognized her and flew down. Legacy had started wearing leather on her arms and shoulders beneath her uniform after Ares ripped her shoulder open taking off one time. The owl hooted at her and settled on her shoulder. "You're always nice to me, aren't you?" She offered him a treat and he carefully took it from her. She'd had to teach him that after he'd cut one of her fingers. "You're big, and soft, and you even listen. Why can't people be like birds?" She asked wistfully. Legacy walked around the room with the owl perched on her shoulder. Ares was hooting gleefully in her ear, then he took off. Ares was quite friendly around her, but when other people around he reverted to 'Angry Ares', as she called it. He would go to his perch and fluff up his feathers. Legacy turned around and saw Percy. "What the hell do you want?" She demanded.

"I'm sorry." He said. Legacy scoffed.

"You're not sorry. The only reason you're saying that is because Charlie made you do it. Well guess what? You can take your sorry and shove it up your ass!" Legacy was pacing the Owlery. "I don't even know what I did to make you so angry. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. But Charlie didn't make me apologize. I was angry about something else, and I took it out on you because… I don't know why. But it was wrong, and I'm sorry." Legacy smiled and gave him a hug.

"As long as you know that, and now it won't happen again. Right?" Percy nodded, and together they walked to their common room.

Legacy's worst subject by far was Herbology. She didn't know why, she just didn't seem to get along with plants. It got to the point where she felt as though every time she entered the greenhouse the plants wilted in despair. Luckily, it was one of Cedric's better subjects, so he was able to help her.

"This is useless!" Legacy declared. She and Cedric were in the library, and he was helping with her homework. "I'm never going to use this outside of school! Why do I need to know exactly what a Venomous Tentacula is, and all of the ways that it can kill me?" She threw her arms in the air.

"I know, I don't know why we need it either. But thinking about how much you don't need this class isn't going to get your work done, is it?" Cedric asked. Legacy put her hands over her face and sighed.

"Fine. Just don't expect me to be happy." Cedric smiled before he stood up to go find a book they needed. Legacy heard a familiar laugh and looked up to see Fred and George walking into the library.

"Legacy! Can we borrow – oh, hullo." George stopped dead, looking at Cedric, who had found the book they needed and had returned to the table.

"Fred! George! What's up?" Neither of them spoke. "Boys, this is Cedric Diggory. Cedric, this is Fred and George Weasley." Cedric smiled at the two before sitting down. "Did you guys need something?"

"Yes, we need to borrow your, uh, _Hogwarts; a History_." That was the safe-word they'd decided on in case one of them needed the Marauder's Map and someone else was there. Legacy slipped the Map into the book before handing it to them. "Thanks. We'll take care of it." They left the library, and Legacy found herself curious about what exactly they were planning to do.

"They don't have their own copy? Or one from the library?" Cedric asked.

"They do, but they like mine." Legacy laughed. "Every time I write an essay or do homework, I tend to underline things in my textbooks." She looked down at the parchment. "So do these things have a harvestable venom, like snakes do? Or is it just themselves that are poisonous?" It wasn't the best way to change the subject, but it worked. They finally finished just before dinner, and they made their way down to the Great Hall.

"I'm glad that I'm able to help." Cedric was saying, and Legacy smiled.

"Me too. If you ever need help with any of your classes, I'll help in any way that I can." Legacy promised, and Cedric went to the Hufflepuff table. She saw Charlie at the Gryffindor table and sat down beside him.

"Have you seen Fred and George today?" Charlie asked her.

"They stopped by at the library earlier to borrow my textbook, but I haven't seen them since."

"They're probably working on some prank or another. They seem to have gotten better at it since they came here. Or, I'm just not used to having to deal with it anymore." Charlie laughed. "There they are." He said, relieved. Fred and George walked towards the Gryffindor table.

"Keep an eye on your boyfriend." Fred said, and the two of them continued down the table.

"I don't _have_ a boyfriend." Legacy said, but they were too far to hear her.

"What was that about?" Charlie asked.

"I think it's about people reading too much into something." Legacy sighed. "I suck at Herbology. Really, really badly. But my friend Cedric happens to be very good at it, so he helps me out. The two of us were working in the library when they came to borrow my textbook. Why can't a girl just be friends with a boy?" Legacy asked the ceiling, shaking her hands. She dropped her head and shook her head. "Stupid boys."

"Hey, one of those 'stupid boys' is sitting right next to you, you know." Charlie teased her.

"No, Charlie. You're not a boy. You're mature and grown-up, and all that."

"They'll get there, eventually. I think." Charlie smiled, and Legacy put thoughts of boys out of her head as the meal began.

It turned out that Legacy might have a long time to wait for that. Legacy was in the library with Cedric helping him with his Potions homework when something landed on the table between them. She barely had time to register that before it exploded, throwing a foul-smelling substance on both of them.

"I am going to _kill_ them!" Legacy snarled. It was all over the place, and Legacy suspected that it wasn't going to be easy to clean off.

"Kill who?" Cedric asked, trying to get the gunk off his face. "Do you know who's been doing this?"

"You mean this isn't the first time this has happened?" Legacy asked.

"Well, this is the first time I've had an explosion of… whatever this is, but this isn't the first time something like this has happened." He told her that he'd been having strange things happen to him for months, and Legacy was not impressed.

"It's Fred and George. I'm sorry, Cedric, if I'd known they were doing this I would have put an end to it."

"Is this something they do to all of their friends? Or am I just lucky?"

"They think we're dating, and apparently they don't approve."

"Why would they think that?"

"I have no idea." Legacy sighed. "They only told me to 'keep an eye' on my 'boyfriend'."

"They really care about you, don't they?" Cedric asked slowly.

"I consider the Weasleys to be family. They've been nothing but good to me. I'm going to have words with them. If this happens again just let me know, ok?" Cedric nodded, and Legacy wiped her books off before putting them in her bag, then left the library. She quickly stopped at the Gryffindor tower to change and clean herself some, but she didn't see them there. She opened up the Map and saw that they were outside. She stormed out of the building and soon found them.

"I wish we could have stayed to see the look on his face." Fred chortled.

"That stuff isn't going to come off easy, that's for sure." George added, laughing.

"Oh, believe me, it won't." Legacy snarled, and their laughter stopped abruptly.

"Legacy! How-" George began, but she interrupted him.

"Seriously, guys? I enjoy a nice prank just as much as the next guy, but don't you think that was a little much?"

"What do you mean?" Fred asked innocently.

"You guys should have looked harder. I got covered in goop, too. And then I hear that Cedric's been plagued for months by the two of you. He didn't know it was you, but I knew. What the hell, guys?"

"Yeah, yeah, he's your boyfriend and all, but-"

"I told you before and I'll tell you again: Cedric Diggory is _not_ my boyfriend. We help each other with homework, and that's it. I don't even want a boyfriend. So you are going to leave him alone. Agreed?" They nodded glumly. "Good. Now go help Cedric."

"What?"

"You heard me. It's your fault he's covered in that stuff, so you're going to help him get it off." She quickly looked at the Map. "He's in their tower." They reluctantly made their way into the school, and Legacy sighed.

As the year drew to a close, Fred and George became more accepting of Cedric. They were almost friends now, but that was due in large part to how well Cedric had accepted learning exactly who had been behind all of the pranks. Legacy tried to smuggle more of the dusty spell books from the basement. She was even able to fit most of them into her trunk, but some had to go back. She was excited for summer to begin, and now that she knew Cedric lived so close to the Burrow, perhaps all of them could spend time together. She wasn't very good at Quidditch, but the boys all loved it. After getting off the train in London, they promised to do something together within the next week.


	4. Year three

Even with the Weasleys mentoring her, Legacy wasn't getting any better at Quidditch. She wasn't even very good at flying, so she would normally work on something from school or else read one of the dusty old tomes while the others played.

"Look out!" Cedric shouted. Legacy looked up and saw a ball flying towards her and without thinking, flicked her wand at it.

"_Aresto_ Momentum." The ball slowed down and fell out of the air, and Legacy went back to reading.

"Wh-what did you do?" Cedric had run over and was panting. Legacy pointed at the ball.

"I stopped it, obviously." She smiled up at him.

"I don't think we're supposed to know that spell yet." His grey eyes held a trace of fear.

"Don't worry, it's extra credit stuff." The lie was bitter on her tongue, but Snape had told her not to tell anyone that she was learning so quickly. Cedric's face split into a smile, and he picked up the ball.

"That's okay then." Fred was calling for Cedric to come back, and he shot her an apologetic smile before rushing back. She leaned back into the tree and closed her eyes, thinking. Was it really so bad that she was learning so much? It had gotten to the point where her wand seemed to know what she wanted to cast before she did. The only reason she even spoke the words anymore was because she knew that wandless casting was supposed to be extremely difficult. She stretched her legs, feeling cramped. Her breasts had developed, and she'd grown to five feet, eight inches. She was still the shortest; Percy overtopped her by a good three inches, and Cedric was almost the same height as him. She sighed and stood, dusting herself off. The new school year was starting soon, and there were no new Weasleys this year. She'd read nearly every book she had packed, the one she was currently reading was the only one left. During the summer, they had all been wearing Muggle clothes, and Legacy usually wore a tank top and a pair of shorts, and she'd noticed some strange looks from both Percy and Cedric. The day they all went to London, Molly wasn't feeling good, and so she stayed home with Ron and Ginny. Legacy spotted Cedric, and they all boarded the train together. Legacy and Cedric were third years, so they'd gotten to choose two new electives before they left school. Legacy had chosen Care of Magical Creatures and Divination.

"Why did you choose Divination?" Percy asked. "Trelawney is a nut."

"Well, I didn't think I needed Muggle studies, and Arithmancy sounds waaay too close to arithmetic for me to be comfortable. I hate math." Legacy shuddered. Charlie had graduated the year before, and Legacy missed him.

Legacy was having a lot of fun in Care of Magical Creatures, but Divination was definitely... different. Percy hadn't been kidding when he'd said Trelawney was a nut. At least she had Cedric. He was helping her with Divination and Herbology, and she was still helping him with Potions. When the first Hogsmeade weekend came up, Legacy was excited to see what was there. Because she didn't have a guardian, McGonagall had let Legacy sign her own permission slip. Hogsmeade was the only all-wizard village in Britain. The streets were lined with cottages, and with all the snow covering them it made Legacy think of gingerbread houses. She and Cedric slipped into every store there. They finally ended up in the Three Broomsticks, where Cedric bought a Butterbeer for both of them. Legacy sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"This place is just so quaint!" She gushed. "It makes me think of gingerbread houses. They're these little things that Muggles make with cookies and icing and candy, usually around Christmas." Legacy saw Cedric watching her again, and she decided to ask him about it. "Cedric, why do you stare at me?"

"I don't stare at you." He quickly looked away and took a swig of his drink.

"You were just now! Come on, Cedric. You can trust me." She gave him her best smile.

"I know, but… I don't know if you'll like what I have to say." Cedric said.

"Even if I don't like it I'll still listen to what you have to say." Cedric sighed and turned to face her.

"Legacy, I like you. A lot. You're smart, you're pretty, you're funny, and you're a nice person."

"Thank you, Cedric. I like you too. You're one of my best friends." Legacy said, but apparently that wasn't what he wanted to hear. He frowned a bit and tried again.

"I like you as _more_ than friends." That was when all of the pieces fell into place.

"Oh. That explains a lot." Legacy leaned back from the table. "I don't know what to say, Cedric. I have to admit, I've never thought about you like that. Or anyone, really." She ran her hands through her hair. "I don't think that this is something that we want to do anyway. What if we broke up? Then we wouldn't be friends anymore." Cedric smiled at her.

"I understand that you're nervous. I'm not going to pressure you, don't worry about that. And if you say no, we can still be friends… right?" Legacy nodded.

"Of course. Let's hurry up, I want to see what else is here." Legacy said, but her mind was somewhere else. Legacy didn't know what to do. She liked Cedric, but she considered him family. She'd seen the other kids who dated and broke up - they were mean and vicious to each other. She didn't want to get like that with Cedric. She sighed before getting up from the table and heading back to the school.

On their first Transfiguration lesson of the year, Professor McGonagall revealed herself to be an Animagus before giving them their assignment. They were going to be doing more difficult things this year, but not this soon. They'd all been given a mouse to turn into a teacup, and Legacy was idly switching hers back and forth.

"Jones, I see you have completed today's assignment. Several times, actually." Legacy shrugged. "I think you should come back here later tonight. After supper?"

"Yes ma'am." Legacy smiled up at the woman. "May I please read? I doubt it's healthy for this thing to be tranfigured so many times." McGonagall nodded her assent, and Legacy pulled out one of her books. She'd purchased some newer books and swapped the covers around, but there wasn't much to be done for the pages of the books themselves. She was reading and taking notes and had lost track of time. When the clock chimed again it startled her, and she quickly packed her things. Legacy returned to the Transfiguration classroom after dinner, as she said she would. She turned off the Map and put it into a hidden pocket of her book bag before knocking.

"Come in." Legacy opened the door and McGonagall sat at her desk with Dumbledore.

"Sir? Ma'am? Am I in trouble?"

"No, child. Please close the door behind you." Dumbledore replied. She did as asked, and walked across the room to sit in a chair. "Professor McGonagall has had a few of the other teachers approach her about how well you're doing in your classes. Like today, with the mice." Legacy swallowed. Had they found out about the spellbooks she'd been reading? "Are you being tutored by one of the other students?"

"No, sir. Have I done something wrong?" Legacy asked, growing concerned.

"No, you haven't. It's just not overly common to find such an exceptionally bright young woman as yourself." Legacy sighed, relieved. "Is there anything you want to tell me? Anything at all." Legacy swallowed before looking at the other teacher.

"I actually have a question for Professor McGonagall, sir. If that's all right." Dumbledore nodded, so she continued. "I wanted to know more about Animagi. I know that you're one, so I figured you might be able to help me."

"I think that either one of us can answer any questions that you might have on the subject." Legacy began to pump the both of them for all the information they would give her on the subject.

"You sound as though you are considering becoming one yourself." Dumbledore commented.

"It is something that I'm interested in, but the law states that I'm too young to become one, so I thought that I'd give it some serious thought so that I know if it's still something that I want to do." It wasn't entirely a lie, she told herself. Dumbledore raised a brow at her before looking at a clock.

"It is getting rather late, child. We should all be off to bed." Legacy nodded and left the room.

Legacy had gotten all of the information that she needed, and she was finally ready to begin teaching herself to be an Animagus. The shortest amount of time that any registered Animagus had required to make the change was just under three years, and Legacy hoped to beat it. She was glad for all of the books she'd been reading, because without them she'd have probably fallen behind in class. As it was, she was doing quite well in all of her classes still, but everyone noticed that she was pushing herself. Dark rings formed beneath her eyes, and she had lost weight.

"You don't look so good." Cedric told her one afternoon. They were in the library again, doing school work.

"I'm fine." She said brusquely, looking down at her parchment. Cedric put his hand over her work, and she scowled at him.

"I'm worried about you. Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey-"

"I don't need to go to the hospital wing, Cedric, so shove off." Legacy snapped, and instantly regretted it. "I'm sorry for being so grumpy. I'm just not getting enough sleep, I guess." Cedric accepted her apology, but she didn't think that he accepted her excuse. She headed to the Gryffindor common room hoping to just sit down and read for a while. She hadn't been there long when Percy spotted her and walked over.

"Hey. What are you working on?"

"Nothing at the moment, just relaxing with a book. What's up?" She closed the book as he sat down across from her.

"I've heard a few things, and I don't like what I'm hearing."

"What do you mean?"

"The other girls tell me that you're not getting to bed when you should be. They'll go to bed and they don't know where you are, and in the morning you'll either be in bed or down here, reading."

"It's none of their business what I'm doing. I'm not doing anything wrong, obviously, or else I'd be costing us house points."

"You really think that all we care about is house points?" Percy scoffed. "They're worried about you, Legacy. Nobody wants to see you have a nervous breakdown or something."

"That's not going to happen. Thank you for your concern." She picked up her book and opened it, hoping he'd leave, but he continued to speak.

"It's not just me, Legacy. Cedric asked after you, and so have some of the teachers. Even Snape asked about you, and he doesn't usually care about anyone that's not in his house."

"Again, thank you. You can tell everyone that I'm fine, and that bothering me like this isn't helping."

"Legacy, you don't need to push yourself this hard."

"Yes, Percy, I do. You have your family name to fall back on. People respect the Weasleys. Me? I'm just some girl with a name supplied by the Muggle government. My education is all I'm going to have when I leave here." She smiled at him. "And hopefully, a few friends."

"You have more than just a few friends, or else there wouldn't be this many people worried about you." Percy sighed. "Just… think on what I said." Percy stood to leave.

"What does it matter to you? Any of you?" Legacy asked, and he didn't answer right away.

"Because we care about you." He walked away before she could ask him anything else. Legacy frowned and put the book down in her lap, thinking. All she'd ever done was what she was supposed to do, so she didn't know why people worried so much. She would go to class, come up here, do her homework, help some of the younger students with theirs, go find an empty class room to work on her Animagus stuff, read some, and then go to bed. She shook her head and went to put her book away. It was starting to get late and she needed to go find that empty room before it got too late.

Someone had apparently decided that Legacy was endangering herself, because she now found herself always accompanied by someone. Between classes there was always a teacher nearby who stopped to talk to her for a moment, and afterwards either Cedric or one of the Weasleys was glued to her hip. She was not impressed. Today it was Snape waiting for her in the hall, and she decided that she was sick of this. Legacy made eye contact with him, then turned and ran the other way. It was raining that day, but she didn't care. Legacy dropped her bag just inside the door and hurried outside into the courtyard. She looked up at the dark clouds and spread her arms, letting the rain wash over her. Within minutes she was soaked to the skin. Legacy could hear someone calling her and ignored them. She closed her eyes and listened to the rain fall and the occasional clap of thunder. She heard footsteps behind her, and the rain stopped falling on her. She could still hear it though, and opened her eyes. She frowned at the black umbrella over her head and looked at the person carrying it.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked, and Legacy laughed.

"What isn't wrong? Now move that thing. I'm enjoying myself." She stepped out from under the umbrella and he followed her, but didn't put it over her this time.

"What's that supposed to mean? 'What isn't wrong'?"

"It means that I'm getting sick and tired of having people stalk me everywhere I go. I don't have room to breathe anymore. Instead, there's someone always there, someone that I didn't ask to have there, and everyone treats me like I'm made out of glass and going to break any minute."

"Who would you rather have there?" Percy asked softly, and Legacy peeked at him through the corners of her eyes. He looked sad and hopeful at the same time, and she wondered if he liked her the way Cedric did.

"You're completely missing what I'm saying. The problem is that every single time I turn around there's someone standing at my elbow. I don't want everyone following me around every minute of the day. I need room to breathe."

"Oh. I didn't realize that was what you meant."

"I'm not interested in having a relationship, Percy. I said the same thing to Cedric not long ago." She told him, hoping it might help. "I understand that you're worried, but you're just going to have to trust me. Whose idea was it to assign me bodyguards?"

"Well, it was my idea, but Dumbledore asked the teachers to help."

"Get rid of them. I want my space back."

"I can only tell Fred and George, you'll have to talk to Cedric yourself and to Dumbledore about the teachers."

"Thank you." Percy waited a moment before he walked away, leaving her standing in the rain. She breathed deeply, glad that she was alone. She wasn't used to having people worry about her, she had always been alone. Even before she'd started to display signs of magic at the orphanage the other children tended to not include her in their games, and that was the way she had liked it. Now, there were more people who wanted to include her than she knew what to do with. She opened her eyes as the rain began to sputter out, and headed back inside. Snape was waiting just inside the door, and he handed Legacy her bag.

"Where will you be going next?" Snape asked.

"I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore." Snape nodded and led her to the headmaster's office. Snape told it the password and she quickly got onto the rising stairs. When the stairs reached the top she knocked on the door and without waiting for a response she opened it. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk.

"You're dripping." Legacy hadn't realized that, and looked down. There was already a small puddle forming around her feet.

"Professor, you need to tell the teachers to stop following me from class to class." Legacy said, walking across the room. "Percy told me everything. Thank you for your concern, but I don't need babysitters. I'm not made of glass." She was standing across from him, and she made no move to sit down.

"Your friends are concerned for you."

"I understand that. But they need to trust that I know what I'm doing, and that I know my own limits. They're crowding me, and I need my space. The only time I'm ever alone is when I'm in the toilets, and even then there's one of the Gryffindor girls there. I'm used to being able to have time and space to myself, and I'm being caged. I won't stand for it, sir."

"I understand wanting your own space. But perhaps you should pull your head out of your books more often and spend time with your friends. Perhaps then they won't worry so much."

"I spend time with them every single day. Cedric and I have class together, and we help each other with homework. I help Fred and George, too. Percy and I don't spend as much time together, but I can't help him with his work, and I don't need any more help with my own."

"And outside of work?"

"Percy, Cedric and I all spend time at Hogsmeade together when we get to go." Legacy crossed her arms, waiting for Dumbledore to speak. "I know that Cedric likes me, and I think that Percy does, but I'm not interested in having a boyfriend. I need to learn as much as I can, as fast as I can, so that I can do my best."

"Why do you think that?" Dumbledore asked softly.

"I'll tell you what I told Percy. He's a pure-blood, and his family's name is well-known within the Ministry and without. He'll get a good job. Me? I'm basically a Muggle-born student. Some girl with no name who is going to have to work her way up the work ladder, taking what she can get. No matter what, the Weasleys are all going to get good jobs one day. I'm going to have to work my ass off to get a good job."

"And what about the rest of your life? What about when you get home after work? Will you go home to a quiet, empty house, or do you want more for yourself than that?"

"I'll worry about the quiet, empty house when I can afford to. And that's not going to happen for a couple of years yet. I'm only thirteen, sir. I think that boyfriends can afford to wait a little while longer." Dumbledore's bright blue eyes studied her, and she fought not to fidget under his gaze.

"You have a very good grasp of life. Most people your age think that the world is going to hand them everything on a platter, but you know better than that."

"I grew up in an orphanage, sir. I listened to what other people said. It's easy as a young child; nobody thinks you're paying any attention to them or what they say. And I would walk around London from time to time. I saw the people who were begging on the streets, and I promised myself that I'd never have to do that, and I plan on keeping that promise." Dumbledore smiled, but he looked sad.

"It's not right when children grow up so young." He shook his head. "I will tell the teachers that they are no longer required to follow you to class."

"Thank you, sir." Legacy smiled and left the office.

Summer came all too quickly after that, and Legacy was frustrated with her seeming lack of progress on her Animagus form. The only Animagus she knew was McGonagall, and Legacy couldn't ask her. Because she couldn't ask, Legacy didn't know that she was progressing much faster than most did. She was long past the point where most gave up, and if she continued at her current pace she would set a record as being the youngest Animagi ever known. Legacy had nearly run out of dusty old books in the basement, and that saddened her. Perhaps next year she could ask one of the teachers if she could have access to more difficult books and spells.


	5. Year Four

Whenever she was alone, Legacy threw herself at any of the Animagus work that she could, almost to the exclusion of her other work. Molly and Arthur broached their concerns with her on numerous occasions, but she told them she was working on extra credit homework. It was only half a lie, but it still tasted bitter. Arthur and Molly had noticed some drastic changes since the summer before. The last traces of baby fat had slipped from Legacy's body, and it was emphasized by the size of her breasts. Molly had needed to take Legacy shopping for new bras; all the ones she'd had from the year before had been outgrown. At fourteen years old Legacy appeared to be eighteen and stood at five feet, nine inches. She desperately hoped that she'd not get any taller. Ron was starting at Hogwarts this year. Legacy needed new robes, and she disliked making brand-new purchases in the company of the Weasleys so she slipped into Madam Malkim's while they were in another store. There were two boys inside already when she entered. One of them had a pale, pointed face and pale blonde hair, and the other was skinny with black hair and a thin face. They were talking when she entered.

"Do you know what house you'll be in yet?" The blonde boy was saying. "No one knows until they get there, really, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have – imagine being in Hufflepuff, I'd leave, wouldn't you?" Legacy shook her head. "I say, look at that man!" Legacy looked despite herself, and saw Hagrid standing outside, an ice cream cone in each hand.

"That's Hagrid. He's the gameskeeper at Hogwarts." The dark-haired boy said. "I think he's brilliant."

"I heard he's some sort of savage – lives in a hut on the school grounds and gets drunk every now and again, then tries to do magic and sets his bed on fire. Why are you with him? Where are your parents?"

"They're dead." The other boy said shortly, and Legacy looked over at him again. He wore round glasses that were held together with tape, and he had almond-shaped green eyes. There was something on his forehead, underneath that fringe of hair, but she couldn't see it well enough.

"Oh, sorry. But they were _our_ kind, weren't they?"

"They were a witch and a wizard, if that's what you mean." The dark-haired boy sounded as though he very much wished the conversation to be over.

"I don't really think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they haven't been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, I imagine. What's your surname, anyway?" The other boy was saved from answering when one of the women working there handed the blonde boy his robes. "I'll see you at Hogwarts, then." Legacy waited for him to leave before walking over to the dark-haired boy.

"Oh, hello. Do you work here?" He asked, and Legacy shook her head.

"No, I'm another student. Is this your first year?" At his nod, she continued. "My name is Legacy Jones, and I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to you about your parents. Did you at least have family to take you in?"

"My mother's sister and her husband took me in, but they're not very nice. The both of them are Muggles, and they're scared of magic. I didn't know about any of it until Hagrid showed up at the door."

"I was raised in an orphanage. I know exactly what you mean. What's your name?" He looked around, making sure they were alone for now.

"I'm Harry Potter. I didn't know the truth about Vol-er, You-Know-Who until today. With him, and me, and my parents." He shook his head. "My aunt and uncle told me they died in a car crash."

"This must be a lot to take in all at once." Legacy said, and he nodded.

"The Dursleys are the Muggle-ist people you'd ever meet. Anything weird happens and they freak out."

"That's not a very good attitude to have, not with a young wizard in the house." They chatted for a while longer, until Harry's robes were finished.

"It was nice meeting you, Legacy. I'll see you at school." He walked out the door and she saw Hagrid hand him an ice cream cone. She smiled and watched the two of them walk down the street. When her own robes were finished she walked out of the building and headed down the street. She saw the blonde boy from earlier with what Legacy assumed were his parents. They were outside the apothecary, blocking the door.

"Excuse me, but I need to go inside." The woman turned to see who'd spoken and peered intently at her.

"Bella…?" Legacy shook her head.

"I don't know anyone named Bella. My name is Legacy."

"I apologize, but you look very much like my… I'm sorry." She turned away, and the man looked at her.

"Did I do something wrong, sir?" She asked, looking at the woman. "I hope I didn't offend her."

"No, she's just…. Delicate, some would say. My name is Lucius Malfoy, and this is my wife Narcissa and our son Draco." He nodded to each of them respectively.

"Legacy Jones." The boy turned around and studied her.

"That's not a pure-blood name." He told her. "You're a Muggle-born." Legacy shrugged.

"Not that it's actually any of your business, but I don't know who my parents are. I was raised in an orphanage, and I was given that surname by the Muggle government." The boy flushed slightly before turning away. Shaking her head, she entered the store to make her purchases. The Malfoys followed not long after, and she avoided them as best she could. Lucius stepped up beside her as she was inspecting some ingredients.

"I apologize for my son. I hope that his remark did not offend you." Legacy shrugged.

"Children learn from what is in the home, and I heard him talking in Madam Malkim's. He doesn't like Muggle-born students, and doesn't think they should even be allowed to go to Hogwarts." She looked at him significantly.

"Some people would take offense at a comment like that. Luckily, I am not one of those people."

"Some people actually give a shit about what others think of them. I'm not one of those people." Legacy went and paid for her things before walking out of the door. She shook her head as she walked down the street. She thought it was disgusting that people put so much value on blood. Cut open a Muggle or a witch, and the blood was still going to be red. Legacy stood on her toes, looking for the Weasleys, and spotted them by the bookstore. Waving, she hurried towards them. They had finished their purchases and had been waiting for her to arrive so they could leave.

At the train station they saw Harry. Hagrid had apparently not told him about how to get through the magical barrier, so Legacy guided him through. They led him and Ron to an empty car and settled themselves in. Legacy smiled to herself, looking around. Their party had definitely grown. Packed into the car was Legacy, Cedric, Percy, Fred, George, and now, Ron and Harry. Harry was a bright boy, and highly inquisitive. Harry recounted the story about setting a python on his cousin Dudley, and Legacy slid off of the seat she was laughing so hard. There was a knock on the door and a first year girl with bushy hair was on the other side.

"I'm looking for a toad. A boy named Neville Longbottom has lost his." After seeing that there was no toad, she continued down the train.

At the Sorting Ceremony when Harry's name was called there was immediate silence, followed by pockets of whispering. After a long moment the hat stretched up and shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" It was the loudest welcome that Legacy had ever heard. There were a few more Gryffindors - Ron, of course, that boy Neville who'd lost his toad, as well as the girl with the bushy hair. Her name was Hermione. Legacy turned towards the stage when she heard another familiar name called out - Draco - and the hat immediately placed him in Slytherin. Percy had been made a Prefect, so after dinner it was his job to show the new students around. She followed them up to the Gryffindor tower and made her way to bed, where she fell asleep immediately.

Legacy had received permission from Snape to retrieve books from the Restricted Section of the library, and she was going through them quickly. After Potions class she handed Snape another note to sign, and he chuckled.

"Trying to work your way through all of them, are we?" He asked, signing the parchment.

"Not really, no. There's just so many in there, and with things I've never heard about before. Do you know anything about Occlumency?" He handed her the parchment before answering.

"I happen to be a quite talented Occlumens. Why do you ask?"

"I was hoping that I could maybe learn. I didn't know that you were an Occlumens, or I would have asked sooner."

"Which part do you wish to learn?"

"Being an Occlumens sounds like it would be a very useful talent. Legilimency seems like an invasion of privacy to me."

"And yet the two go hand in hand. The former cannot be learned without someone performing the latter."

"Do you… would you be allowed to teach me?"

"I see no reason not to." He said, and Legacy smiled.

"Thank you, sir. When would you like to begin?"

"Give me some time. I will let you know when we can begin." He reached for a quill and a fresh parchment. "I will write a note for your next teacher, you are likely going to be late."

A week later, Snape told her they could begin. Her lessons were after dinner, and she was excited to begin. She wolfed down her food and then ran down to the class room. Snape wasn't there, so she poked her head into his office. It looked as though he was pulling white hairs out of his head with his wand before putting them in a large bowl. She waited until he was finished, then spoke up.

"Sir, I'm ready to begin."

Snape was impressed by her progress and dedication. They couldn't have lessons every night like she wanted to because there was something afoot in the castle, and Snape was involved in it. As Christmas drew closer, he temporarily ended their sessions, claiming that she needed to take a break. She didn't believe in breaks, but he was the teacher and it was his choice. She was the only Gryffindor girls staying for the Christmas holidays that year; the Weasleys and Harry were the only boys. Legacy spent all her time working on her Animagus project, and barely did anything else. Luckily, with the girls' dorms empty, she didn't need to find an empty classroom. The only reason anyone saw her on Christmas was because she'd actually forgotten what day it was and had gone down to check.

Her lessons with Snape resumed after the start of the new term. Legacy was pushing herself, and it was taking a toll on her body. This time around, she knew how to apply make-up, so it was much easier to hide the dark rings around her eyes, but there was nothing she could do to hide the fact that she was losing weight again. She looked nearly skeletal as she studied herself in the mirror and took great pains to avoid people seeing her in anything but her school robes. It looked as though her ruse was working, no one had commented on her appearance. Her body, however, meant to out her. Legacy was having a difficult time during her session with Snape one evening, and let her control slip. He was in her thoughts and memories. They could both see what was in her head, and there were images before her now that she didn't recognize – a tall, thin, pale woman with black hair and dark eyes. The woman was holding her here, and now the two of them were playing, and now they were sitting at a table eating. They laughed together now, the woman was reading to her now. Then everything went blank as she fell into a dead faint. When she finally came to, Legacy could hear voices.

"She asked me to teach her Occlumency, and I did not see a problem with it." That was Snape's voice.

"And you didn't think to ask me beforehand?" That was Dumbledore, and he sounded angry.

"How was I to know that she'd had a Memory Charm performed on her?"

"You should have come to me!"

"I had assumed that she had done that herself."

"You should never assume things, Severus."

"I'm sorry, Albus, Severus, but the girl needs to sleep. I'll have to ask the both of you to leave." Madam Pomfrey said. That meant she had been taken to the hospital wing. She heard a pair of footsteps retreating and quickly pretended to be asleep in case the woman came to check on her. Legacy heard the bed curtain being closed and another set of feet leaving. She waited a moment and then sat up in the bed. She found her bag, it had been placed beside her bed. Legacy quickly and quietly took out ink, a quill and a piece of parchment, and she wrote down everything she could remember. She even tried sketching the woman from memory, but gave up when the woman turned out nearly identical to Legacy's own image. If there had been a Memory Charm performed once, it was safe to assume that it might be again, and she wanted to remember this woman. When she was done she put her things back in her bag and leaned back onto the bed. Who had performed a Memory Charm on her? And why? What was so important about this woman that she wasn't supposed to know about her? It was unlikely that Dumbledore would answer her questions; it sounded as though he wanted to keep this woman a secret from Legacy. She had an idea, and found the Marauder's Map in her bag. When she had located who she was looking for, she got out of bed and slipped out of the room. She glanced at the map on occasion, making sure she wasn't about to run headlong into Filch or another teacher as she made her way down. Sooner than she'd expected, Legacy was pounding on a door. When it opened she slipped into the room, and then turned to face the occupant.

"Jones, what are you doing here? This is not a good time for you to be out of bed." Snape said, closing the door behind her.

"Do you know who that woman was?" Legacy asked, and Snape sighed.

"I cannot tell you. I am sorry."

"You can't give me names, but you could answer yes-or-no questions, couldn't you?" Legacy asked, and Snape frowned.

"Well, yes, but how much are yes-or-no questions going to help?"

"You'll see. Do you know who that woman was?"

"Yes."

"So she was a witch. Did she go to school with you?"

"No, she was here before me."

"So you met her through work?"

"No."

"Is she alive?"

"It's very likely."

"So why… never mind, that's not a good question. Do you know if she's my mother?"

"I don't know that, but after seeing that, and from Dumbledore's reaction, that is something else that is very likely."

"Do you think that there was a good reason for Dumbledore to hide that information from me?"

"Yes." That wasn't the answer she'd expected, and Legacy frowned.

"Do you know if I have any other family?"

"If she was your mother, then on her side, yes. I don't know who your father was, so I don't know about his side."

"What was her status?"

"Pure-blood. If she is your mother, than you are most likely one as well; she didn't hold with Muggles and Muggle-borns."

"Do you know where she is?"

"Yes, and it's not a place you should look for her at. It's not a good place." Another unexpected answer.

"Was she a Death Eater?" Snape said nothing, and that was answer enough for her. "Thank you, sir. I believe I've taken up enough of your time. It's getting late and I should go back to the hospital wing."

"I can take you there. Then if you run into Filch you won't be in trouble." Snape said, standing. Legacy nodded and they left the room. They walked back in silence and didn't see anyone, not even a ghost. When they reached the hospital wing, Snape looked as though he wanted to say something.

"Goodnight, sir. Thank you for your help."

"I'm sorry, Jones… Legacy."

"It's not your fault. You have nothing to apologize for." She went back to her bed and pulled out the parchment she'd wrote on earlier and wrote down what she'd learned from Snape. When she slipped under the covers, sleep was a long time coming. In the morning, Madam Pomfrey informed her that she could leave, and that Dumbledore would like to see her.

"If he wants to see me, he can come find me. And you can tell him I said so, ma'am." She left a very shocked nurse and headed down to the Great Hall to get some food. There wasn't much left, but she ate anyway before heading outside. Legacy walked down to the lake side and sat down under a tree, pulling out a book. She cast a quick charm to make her unnoticeable, then settled down to read. She didn't suspect that Dumbledore would be unable to see through it, but she didn't want to be disturbed right then. She found herself continually distracted by thoughts of the woman, and she disgustedly gave up on her book and pulled out her sketch and the other parchment. It made sense now that the sketch looked like her if the woman was her mother. She didn't know a lot about the Death Eaters, but she did know that there had been very few women, so that was slightly helpful. She suspected that the woman was in Azkaban, and probably insane. Legacy closed her eyes and leaned into the tree. Were these really questions that she wanted to know the answers to? Did she want to _not_ know the answers? "Well shit. Six of one, half a dozen of the other." Legacy murmured.

"That must be a Muggle saying." She opened her eyes and saw Dumbledore within the ring of her spell. "I see now why you couldn't be found. I must admit, this was a very well done charm." Without saying a word Legacy cast a Muffliato Charm and transformed a nearby rock into a large fluffy chair for Dumbledore. He was watching her, and she gestured towards it before he decided to sit down. "You're very advanced for your age."

"Stop trying to butter me up. I want to know why you didn't tell me about her." She floated the sketch towards him and he sighed.

"I had hoped this conversation would not occur until you were older." Dumbledore sighed and steepled his fingers. "Bellatrix Lestrange, née Black, was a Death Eater, one of the few ones that we know were women." Dumbledore told her about the First Wizarding War and Bellatrix's part in it, and how she ended up in Azkaban.

"Bellatrix Lestrange is your mother. I took you to the orphanage myself and left you in their care. It was decided by the Wizengamot that the Malfoys and even themselves would undergo a Memory Charm so that they would not remember that Bellatrix had a child. We suspected that if it was widely known who your mother was, you would not have a normal life here in Hogwarts."

"What about me? What about the Charm cast on me?" He was silent. "I heard you and Snape last night, and I want answers. If you don't give them to me, I'll go find them myself."

"We didn't know how you would react to receiving that information."

"How long were you going to keep it from me? Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Of course we were."

"You say that now." Legacy scoffed. "You can say what you like about that, and I'll never know if you were telling the truth."

"I cannot force you to believe me."

"Do you know who my father is?"

"It's well known that there was little in the way of affection between you and her husband. Pure-blood marriages are sometimes arranged, and this was one of those marriages. I do not think that you are Rodolphus Lestrange's daughter."

"You didn't answer the question, you just danced around it."

"Very true. No, I do not know who your father is."

"But you have a theory."

"Perhaps. But that is for another day. I take it you enjoyed your chat with Professor Snape last night?" Legacy opened her eyes and looked at Dumbledore. He didn't look angry.

"Is this you letting me know that nothing in this castle goes unnoticed? Or are you pumping me for information, to see if Snape let on more than he was supposed to? If it's the former, then I needn't answer. If it's the latter, then don't worry. We played twenty questions."

"And what did you learn?"

"Pretty much what you told me, but no names." Legacy took a deep breath. "Is there anything you would like to tell me?"

"I had never thought to be on the receiving end of that question at this age." Dumbledore chuckled. "I would like to tell you that I do not think that anyone else will think any less of you because of this. I would like to tell you that I will not tell anyone, and that this knowledge is yours to do what you please with. I would like to tell you that you are one of the most talented witches that I have ever had the pleasure to meet."

"Thank you."

"Is there anything that you would like to discuss?" Dumbledore asked, and Legacy thought about telling him about her illegal Animagus training, but changed her mind.

"Can I continue my Occlumency lessons?"

"Yes, you may. If there are any other things that you would like to learn, just ask. There will always be someone willing to help at Hogwarts." Dumbledore stood. "Now, I should be getting back to the castle." He looked back at the chair. "This is rather comfy. Might I keep it?"

"Yes, sir." Legacy said, smiling. "Do you need help carrying it?" Dumbledore waved his wand and the chair floated up to one of the windows on the castle. "It's funny sometimes, what I do and don't forget. I forget that I can do things like that, but I don't forget that I can't conjure food out of nothing." Dumbledore smiled before walking back to the castle, and Legacy didn't move. She sat there for a time, thinking, and pulled out her wand. It made sense now why Dumbledore had been so concerned about her wand. Such a powerful wand, easy to sway to the Dark Arts, in the hands of one of the child of one of the most sadistic Death Eaters? Legacy sighed, twirling it over her knuckles. She picked up the two pieces of parchment, holding them to the tip of her wand and lit them on fire.

Legacy's newfound knowledge didn't affect her studies adversely. If anything, she pushed harder, especially in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Her lesson with Snape had resumed, and they were still not as often as she would have liked. Legacy spent more time outside now – she knew that she was close to her first change as an Animagus, and she didn't want that to happen in the common room. So out by the lake she sat, surrounded by her unnoticeable charm. At this point in her training, she was supposed to meditate, concentrating on her 'inner animal'. Her research told her that this was only necessary for the first transformation, and that the ones after that would be seamless transitions from one form to the other, and she hoped that would be the case. As she sat by the water, she let the sound roll over her, thinking about different animals. She had no idea how to concentrate on her 'inner animal', so she hoped that this would suffice. Today it was birds – ravens, doves, parrots, eagles. She sorely hoped that she was going to be a bird of prey, because if she was a pigeon or something it would be next to useless. She'd be too busy making sure nothing was about to eat her to actually do something useful in the form. As she sat there, her mind returned to the eagles. They were large, powerfully built birds of prey. They were larger than any other raptors besides some vultures. The females were all larger than the males, and she smiled at that thought. Her personal favourite was the Golden Eagle. It was the most wide-spread species of eagle, and typically very large – they ranged from twenty-six to forty inches in length, and had a wingspan from six feet to eight feet, typically. Legacy lingered on this creature, seeing it in her mind. She thought she heard something and opened her eyes. It was starting to get dark out, but she didn't see what could have made the noise. She moved to stand up and saw a dark brown wing. She spun away from it and landed on her back. She tried to push off the ground and she couldn't. Legacy looked down and saw that she was covered in feathers.

"What?" She said, or at least tried to. All that came out was an angry squawk. How had she shifted without even being aware of it? Legacy flipped herself over and was finally able to get off the ground. Legacy knew that she was a large bird of prey, just from what she'd seen already. She flapped her wings a few times, trying to get a feel for them. She launched herself off the ground and instinct took over. She soared above the castle, looking down. Everything looked so much different up here. She landed on a turret and looked around the castle. From the amount of students entering the building, she assumed that it was nearly time for dinner. At the thought her stomach growled, and she took off again. She flew towards where she'd cast her charm and landed on the ground. She closed her eyes and thought about what she looked like as a human – tall, pale, dark hair, blue eyes… when she opened her eyes she looked down at herself. There were no feathers this time. She laughed out loud before picking up her bag and running into the school.

For nearly every student in the castle there was a different story about what exactly Harry, Ron and Hermione had faced beneath the school, but they all had one thing in common: Harry had faced Voldemort again, and he had survived. Gryffindor won the House Cup that year, thanks to the three of them and Neville. On the train back to London, Harry told her the story himself. She couldn't blame them for thinking it had been Snape; the man could be quite intimidating. When they arrived in London they all said goodbye to Harry and Hermione and went home for another summer.


	6. Year five

Legacy didn't tell any of the Weasleys about being an Animagus, or even Cedric. She just didn't want to share it yet, and this severely shortened the amount of flying time she was able to get. Ron mentioned that he hadn't heard from Harry all summer, and Legacy volunteered to go check on him. Percy had locked himself in his room the whole summer, and he only came out for food and the toilet, so they couldn't ask him for help. So she snuck down the stairs one evening to go check on Harry and saw Ron, Fred and George already outside.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Legacy asked.

"We thought you might need some help." Fred said.

"I'll be fine. We don't even know what the situation is right now. Go to bed, I'll be back in the morning."

"How do you plan on getting there?" George asked.

"I'll fly. Now get inside."

"Fly on what? Our old broomsticks?" Ron asked. "You'll take a week."

"I'm not using a broomstick. You three need to go back to bed."

"We just want to help." George said.

"You can help if he needs to be broken out. But I'm going alone tonight."

"Not if you don't have the keys." Fred said, and Legacy looked at him.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I don't think she knows about the car." Ron said, and Legacy growled.

"I don't know what the hell you guys are on about. I'm leaving." For the first time in what felt like ages she shifted to the eagle and threw herself into the sky. She hoped that the three of them wouldn't mention that incident to anyone. Perhaps she'd acted rashly, but she just wanted to get up into the air again, to feel the wind sliding through her feathers. After experiencing flying for herself, Legacy could see why Quidditch was so well loved. She flew towards Little Whinging, Surrey County. It was where Harry had said his house was, and it was just outside of London. She flew down the streets, looking for Privet Drive. She missed it at first, but she turned and went down the road. It had taken far longer than she'd thought it would to get there, and the sun was peeking over the horizon, so she needed to hurry. She found number four and looked through the windows. At the first there was a sleeping couple, at the second there was something large and round in the bed, and the third one had bars over the windows. There was an owl in a cage hanging in the window, and Legacy recognized her.

_Why are there bars on the windows?_ Legacy directed towards the other bird.

_I have no idea. I've been in this thing all summer, and it's horrible. I'm barely getting enough food, and neither is he. _Legacy was not impressed. She sat on the window sill and tapped the window with her beak, trying to wake Harry. He finally woke and seem startled to see her, and she couldn't blame him. She raised a talon and started writing in the dust on the window. It was difficult, because she was a bird, for starters, and she needed to write the letters backwards. After almost half an hour, there was finally a message written in the dust. _Help is coming_. Harry nodded at her, and she wiped the words away with a flick of her wing before taking off and heading back to the Burrow. When she arrived, everyone was awake. She looked for somewhere she could land and shift without anyone seeing her, but Ron saw her and pointed. Fred and George came running towards him. She glided towards the Quidditch pitch and angled towards the ground. When she was a few feet off she shifted in mid-air. She hadn't done that yet, and it looked as though she might need more practice. Legacy heard her ankle snap when she hit the ground and cried out.

"Legacy, are you ok?" Fred asked.

"I think I broke my ankle." Legacy said, clutching her ankle. "That's what I get for trying to beat you guys, I guess."

"Come on, we'll take you to Mum." George helped her stand and put one of her arms over his shoulder, and Fred took the other one, with Ron leading the way. Molly was not impressed.

"What were you four doing?" Molly demanded. "I've seen the boys with breaks before, but never you."

"I was flying, and they saw me. I headed for the Quidditch pitch to land and shifted in mid-air. I'm going to need more practice with that… anyway, I landed on my ankle."

"What do you mean, 'shifted'? Were you doing magic out there?"

"No, Molly. I did all that while I was at school. I haven't done any magic here."

"Then what did you do?"

"I guess it was going to come out eventually." Legacy sighed. "I'm an Animagus."

"You're far too young to be an Animagus. It would have been in the paper."

"If I'd told the Ministry about it, then yes it would." Molly's face paled.

"Are you telling me that you're an unregistered Animagus?"

"Yes, that's what I'm telling you. You are the only ones who know, I haven't told anyone else. I don't plan on registering any time soon."

"Why not? Don't you know what the sentence is?"

"I do. I just don't want a whole lot of noise about being the youngest Animagus ever. I'll go register in a few years when I'm older."

"I can accept that. Just please be careful." Molly healed her ankle, and they could all leave. The four of them rushed back outside, and Legacy told them what she'd seen at Privet Drive.

"Hedwig, Harry's owl, told me that she'd been in her cage all summer, and that the two of them aren't getting enough to eat. It took me forever, but I woke Harry then wrote a message in the dust to tell him help was coming."

"We have to go get him." Ron said, and together they made a plan. They couldn't put it into action for almost another week because Molly was hovering over Legacy, but she finally slipped some Sleeping Draught into hers and Arthur's drinks. The two of them went up to bed shortly, and Percy was bolted up in his room. Ginny was far easier to handle; Legacy had told her about what they were doing and she stayed out of the way. Legacy wrote a note for Molly before the boys climbed into Arthur's flying Ford Anglia.

"What about you?" George asked from the driver's seat. He was going to drive there, and then Fred would drive the return trip.

"There isn't going to be room for all five of us, and you don't know the way. I'll fly out in front. If you hit me with this thing, I'm going to be pissed." With that, she shifted and they were ready to begin. When they arrived at Harry's house Ron woke him. Fred and George had swapped seats, and George was tying a rope around the bars on Harry's window. Legacy held the top in her talons – it wouldn't do to have the bars crash into the house on the way down and wake the neighbourhood. Fred hit the gas and the bars popped off the wall, and Legacy nearly dropped them. Fred cut the rope and Legacy lowered them to the ground. Nearly all of Harry's things were in the boot, and they had so far managed to maintain silence. When Hedwig thought that she was being left behind she cried out.

_Don't leave me here with these idiots!_ Hedwig cried, but the others only heard her screech. Harry went back to get her, and a large man threw open the door to Harry's room.

"He's getting away!" The man shouted, and he hurried across the room to grab Harry's ankle. Legacy swooped down and shrieked in his face, scaring him and causing him to fall back. Ron helped Harry get into the car, and George picked the lock on Hedwig's cage. The eagle, the owl and the car flew back to the Burrow together.

"I would have expected something like this from the boys, but not you, Legacy." Molly was not happy that they'd rescued Harry. She was happy to see him, but Molly thought they'd endangered themselves needlessly.

"Molly, he was in a small room with bars on the windows, and he wasn't getting enough to eat. Even Hedwig was complaining about the lack of food." Legacy said. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat. But this time, we'd do it sooner."

"We were thinking about going to get Harry ourselves soon if we hadn't heard from him yet, but we are not children! You could have died, you could have been _seen_!"

"All that matters is that Harry's safe and we weren't seen." Legacy sat down at the table. "What's for breakfast? I'm starving." Molly grumbled a bit, but she piled sausages onto everyone's plates. Legacy noticed that Harry got a few extra, and she smiled.

When Legacy opened her letter, she was extremely surprised by what she found inside. She upended the envelope over the table and the badge clunked on the table.

"You got made Prefect?" George asked, looking at the badge. Molly ran over and hugged Legacy tightly.

"That's wonderful, dear! I'm so proud of you!"

"Why the hell would I make Prefect? I'm nearly as bad as these two!" Legacy exclaimed, gesturing at Fred and George.

"Not yet you're not. You've got a long way to go until you're in our league." George said, smiling.

"That's a good thing." Percy told him, then turned to Legacy. "Making Prefect looks good when you're applying for a job." Legacy suspected that it was on olive branch from Dumbledore, but said nothing. After Harry's misadventure with the Floo Powder, they went to buy their school things. There was a long line outside of the bookstore, and apparently some famous wizard was in there signing books. Legacy sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I don't want to fight through all of _that_ to get my schoolbooks. I'll swing by after I get my other things, maybe the line will be shorter by then."

"Here's an idea, dear." Molly said. "You give me some money and we'll pick up your books, and I'll give you some money and a list, and you can go stop at the apothecary." It was a good idea, so they exchanged items and Legacy walked away from the bookstore with Percy. He had reacted the most oddly to the news that she was an Animagus, and they'd not spoken much since.

"So… what made you decide you wanted to become an Animagus?" Percy asked, breaking the silence.

"I guess it was the challenge." Legacy said, shrugging her shoulders. "It's not something that a lot of wizards do, and many who try give up."

"So you're a bird?"

"I'm an _eagle_, thank you very much." Legacy retorted heatedly. "A _golden_ eagle. I'm not some little bird that's going to be eaten. I am a bird of prey."

"Won't you stand out somewhat? A pigeon would have an easier time blending in."

"It depends on where I go. I'd stick out in Australia, but up here there's quite a few golden eagles. Their habitats are in the Northern Hemisphere. And if I was something stupid like a pigeon, I'd have to be more careful. There's a lot more things out to get pigeons than eagles." They walked into the store and postponed the rest of their conversation. Legacy didn't use the money that Molly had given her to purchase supplies, and she knew she'd be in trouble for it later but she didn't care much.

"So you didn't choose your form?" Percy asked as they left the store.

"No, it's not something you pick. There's some speculation that a person's Patronus and Animagi forms will be the same, but there's too few Animagi to know for sure."

"That's interesting. You haven't learned the Patronus Charm yet?"

"No. I know the incantation, but with all the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers there hasn't really been any time. Most of it was them trying to figure out what we'd already learned. I really hope that we don't have a complete dunderhead this year." The Weasleys and Harry were leaving the bookstore when they arrived, and they quickly updated the other two on what had happened inside.

"Stupid Malfoys. I don't get what it is with some pure-bloods." Legacy shook her head. "I admire your restraint, however. It's a good thing I wasn't there – I probably would have hexed him." Arthur grunted. "And this guy Lockhart is our new teacher? It looks like my wish is going unfulfilled for another year." Percy laughed and Molly gave her an odd look. "Here's your change, Molly." Legacy handed the woman a pouch and then handed the others their Potions supplies.

"My change? Legacy, you didn't even use the money I gave you." Molly said. "That wasn't necessary."

"You guys have put up with me every summer for five years. The least I could do was pay for some ingredients." They left Diagon Alley and headed back to the Burrow. The next morning was chaos as the nine of them rushed around each other trying to get all their things together. By the time they all got into the car with all of their things it was late, and Arthur tried to talk Molly into letting him fly there, but she put her foot down.

"Even with the invisibility button, no! Not in broad daylight!" They made it to the station with minutes to spare. Molly and Arthur took Ginny, Fred and George went together, Legacy went with Percy, and Harry and Ron came last. She didn't see him as she and Percy boarded the train, headed for the Prefect's car. Legacy saw Hermione when she was patrolling the train, but Hermione said that she hadn't seen Ron or Harry yet, and that worried her. They arrived at the school, and Legacy quite forgot about the two younger boys when Fred and George started making a ruckus at dinner. She heard later that the two of them had flown the car to school and crashed into the Whomping Willow. Legacy sighed, shaking her head. Thankfully, McGonagall had already taken care of their punishment. After the feast Legacy showed the Gryffindor first years around, and showed them where their tower was. She'd been happy to see that Ginny had been Sorted into Gryffindor. She climbed through the portrait hole and sent them all off to bed.

As it was her fifth year, Legacy had OWLs coming up. They were the Ordinary Wizarding Level exams that all fifth year students took. Legacy studied, but not as hard as other students were. She spent quite some time in the library with Cedric, helping him study. He'd made Prefect as well.

"No, moonstones are used in the Draught of Peace and in Love Potions." Legacy told Cedric, and he scowled down at his parchment.

"Stupid Potions…" he growled, and Legacy laughed.

"Now you know how I feel about Herbology."

"Yeah, I guess so. How are you doing with your stuff?"

"Herbology's the only one that I'm having trouble with, but it's getting easier."

"I wish I could say the same for Potions." Cedric grumbled.

"Come on, it'll get easier, you'll see." She smiled at him. "Would you like to help me with Herbology for a while, and take a break from Potions?"

"Merlin, yes!" Legacy laughed as Cedric quickly shoved his Potions essay into his bag. "I hate Potions. I'm going to ask Professor Sprout about careers that have anything but Potions."

"Why ask her?" Legacy asked, taking out her Herbology work.

"Because of the Careers Advice session with our heads of houses. They help you figure out exactly what courses you need to get into the career you want, and how to avoid careers with Potions."

"That sounds useful. Do you know what you want to do?"

"Probably something like Magizoology. I've got high grades in both Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. What about you?" Legacy propped her chin in her hand, thinking.

"I've never given it much thought, actually. But I think I'd like to be an Auror."

"You do realize that means three more years of training, right? And you have to have crazy high marks in five different classes."

"I'll have to talk to McGonagall about it to find out more, I guess. Come on, what the hell is this thing supposed to be?" She exclaimed, looking at the picture in the textbook.

"That's a Chinese Chomping Cabbage." Cedric was laughing. "Let's get you acquainted with it before we have to go meet it."

Legacy was sure she was going crazy. Of all the times she could have gone crazy, of course it would happen in her fifth year. She kept on hearing voices in the walls, and nobody else could hear them. So either she was going absolutely crazy, or else Fred and George were playing a really good prank on her. On Hallowe'en, Mr Filch's cat, Mrs Norris, was attacked near one of the girls' toilets. There was writing on the wall next to her – _The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir beware._ Legacy had heard one of the voices in the wall near there and had rushed down the hall only to find Harry, Ron and Hermione standing next to her and a large puddle on the floor. That was when all hell broke loose and Filch came around one of the corners. Dumbledore and the other teachers were called for quickly, and Dumbledore established that the cat was Petrified, not dead. The four of them were questioned by Dumbledore.

"We were at Sir Nicholas' Deathday party, and we were on our way back to the tower." Hermione told Dumbledore.

"I had thought that ghosts did not provide food for the living at these parties." Dumbledore said, and Ron answered.

"We weren't hungry." Dumbledore only nodded before he turned to Legacy.

"And what brought you to that hallway tonight?" Legacy decided to go with the truth.

"I've been hearing a voice in the walls. They keep talking about how they want to kill things, and tear them apart, and…" She shuddered. "I heard another one tonight, and I followed it down to that hallway. That was when I saw Mrs Norris and the writing."

"You saw no one else there?"

"No, sir."

"Well. Even in the wizarding world, hearing voices is not a good thing. If you will stay a moment, I will send these three to bed." When they were alone, Dumbledore turned back to her. "You're sure about the voice?" He asked her.

"Yes. I don't know what it is, but to be honest, it frightens me."

"I understand." Dumbledore performed some quick spells that Legacy didn't recognize before sending her away. "If you do hear them again, come see me immediately." Legacy headed back to the common room where she saw Harry waiting for her.

"That's the real reason I was down there." Harry said. "I heard the voice too, but Hermione thought that I shouldn't say anything."

"Well, now I feel slightly less crazy." Legacy said.

"Me too. What do you think it is?"

"Something we really don't want to piss off."

Legacy did some research into the Chamber of Secrets, and what she found was slightly disturbing. The four founders of Hogwarts had apparently all gotten along fine at one point. Apparently, that all changed when Salazar Slytherin decided that they should be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He thought that only pure-bloods should be allowed to join, but the others disagreed. When they refused his idea, he left. According to the legend, Slytherin built the Chamber of Secrets and sealed it before he left. Only his 'true heir' was supposed to be able to open it and unleash the 'horror' within, and 'purge' the school of those 'unworthy' to study magic. According to the book she read, the school had been searched many times and it wasn't found. The Chamber was supposed to be home to something that only the Heir could control, some kind of monster. After the first attack, Lockhart started up a dueling club. Legacy thought that it was a good idea, just somebody else should be running it – she'd heard about what this idiot had done to Harry's arm. She went anyway, if only to make sure he didn't blow up a student. He was being helped by Snape, and it actually wasn't going badly at all until he decided to pair up Harry and Malfoy. Instead of simply disarming each other, it turned into an all-out duel. When Malfoy summoned a snake Legacy stepped forward, but Lockhart beat her to it. Instead of destroying it, however, all he managed to do was launch it into the air, effectively making it angry. When it landed it turned towards one of the students, and Legacy burst into motion.

"Down! Get away from him!" The snake turned away from the boy and slithered towards her instead. She quickly destroyed it then turned to Lockhart. "Do you see what your ineptitude almost did? That snake could have _killed_ him. Some Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher you are." She turned on her heel and left the room. Snape caught up with her before she'd gone too far.

"I didn't know you were a Parselmouth." He commented.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's a good thing you destroyed the snake, otherwise people might think that _you_ were the Heir of Slytherin."

"You didn't understand what I said to that snake."

"No, I didn't. You should be careful; it's well known that it's an inherited gift, passed down from generation to generation."

"Great. On top of the OWLs, I've got this shit to deal with too." Snape didn't respond, and she saw that he'd walked away. Legacy sighed and made her way back to the Gryffindor common room. She wasn't surprised to see Harry waiting for her.

"I know what you said to it."

"It looks like we both talk to snakes. Maybe we should start a club?" Harry laughed, and Legacy smiled. "The Slytherins might get jealous if we used a snake as our logo, though. But I don't know what else we could use."

"Maybe with the two of us we can get this all sorted out."

"You're Harry freaking _Potter._ If I wasn't here you'd do just as well." The boy flushed before bidding her good night, and Legacy decided that sleep was a very good idea.

There were more attacks throughout the year, and Muggle-borns were being targeted. Legacy asked Percy to tell the students to stay in groups, and to not go anywhere alone. She doubted that if she told them that they'd listen at all, and she doubted that it would prevent attacks, but it might help the students feel safer. Legacy had forgotten about the Careers Advice session, and when she was called down to McGonagall's office she groaned. Mumbling under her breath she made her way to the deputy headmistress's office and knocked on the open door, causing the woman to look up.

"Yes, Jones. Come in, and close the door." When Legacy was seated, the woman continued. "Now, then. After looking at your marks, it is likely that you could land nearly any career that you wanted to. Was there one in particular you were interested in?"

"I would very much like to be an Auror, ma'am." Legacy said, and McGonagall might have smiled, but she wasn't sure.

"That is a very difficult and arduous path to take, Jones. It requires Exceeds Expectations in nearly every OWL level, and again in the NEWT level, as well as three more years of training once you leave here."

"You're either trying to talk me out of it, or else you're making sure that this is what I want to do. I surely hope it's the latter, because I'm not about to be talked out of something just because someone tells me it's hard. I would like to think that you know me better than that." Legacy shook her head. "I've worked my ass off to get to where I am, and I've gotten things I never expected. Like this-" she pointed at her Prefect's badge on her chest "-I never expected this, I never thought I'd get it. And I sure as hell hope that it wasn't pity that gained it for me." This time, McGonagall did smile.

"Many students see only the glamour of being an Auror, and not the work that goes behind it. I am required to make that speech to every student who inquires, but I do know you better than that. And that-" McGonagall pointed at Legacy's chest "-was given because I see a young woman striving to better herself. The OWLs required are Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I believe Herbology is more a recommendation than a requirement, however. To get into each of these teacher's classes, you require… ah." McGonagall had found the parchment she'd been looking for. "Potions requires an Outstanding, I require an Exceeds Expectations, Herbology and Charms require an Acceptable, and Defense Against the Dark Arts requires the same. Although with the way we go through Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, I would recommend trying for an Outstanding. For your NEWT level examinations, all of these classes will require an Exceeds Expectations for them to even consider your application. You are doing very well in all of your classes at the moment; your teachers are saying that you are a pleasure to work with and a fine model for others, even with all of these nonsensical rumours floating about." The woman looked at the clock. "We still have some time remaining to us if you have any questions."

"None at the moment, ma'am. Thank you for your time."

Legacy hadn't heard the voice in quite some time, and it startled her when she heard it next. She followed it down the halls, and she came across Hermione and a Prefect that she recognized as being in Ravenclaw. Legacy floated the both of them down to the hospital wing before sending for Dumbledore; she knew that if it had been her she wouldn't have wanted to be gawked at by every student in the castle. Students were collected and sent back to their dormitories, and there was suspicion that they all might be sent home soon. Harry and Ron had just returned from visiting Hermione, and Harry rushed towards her.

"She figured it out." Harry handed her a slip of parchment. "It was in her hands when she was Petrified." Legacy quickly read the slip. It spoke of a large creature, a basilisk. Its stare was deadly, and could be killed by the crow of a rooster. Underneath the printed words was a written one – _pipes_.

"That's how it's been getting through the school." Legacy breathed. "It's a huge snake – that's why we can hear it."

"That toilet down by where Mrs Norris was attacked has a ghost living in it."

"I know, Moaning Myrtle. What of it?"

"Well, the last time this happened, a girl was killed in the bathroom. What if she never left?"

"Let's go have a chat with Myrtle, shall we?" Harry collected Ron, and the three of them were headed towards the bathroom.

_All students please return to your dormitories. All staff, please convene in the staff room._ Legacy cursed.

"How the hell are we supposed to get in there?" Harry smiled and pulled a cloak out of his bag.

"With this." He threw it over the three of them and Legacy scoffed.

"How is this going to get us into the staff room?"

"Just don't make any noise and make sure your feet are covered; the Cloak will do the rest." Legacy rolled her eyes and crouched so the Cloak touched the floor, then they headed to the staff room. They beat the teachers in and hid behind a wardrobe where none of them were likely to stand. To Legacy's utter amazement, none of the teachers appeared to see them.

"The worst has happened; one of the students has been taken to the beast's lair. We will have to send the students home tomorrow." McGonagall said. Gilderoy said something she didn't hear, and the teachers turned to look at him. "If that's the case, Gilderoy, than you can go down and see what can be done for her." Lockhart's face paled.

"Which student was taken?" He asked, and McGonagall looked down.

"Ginny Weasley." Ron whimpered and Legacy clapped a hand over his mouth. Lockhart left the room, and the other teachers soon followed.

"She's a pure-blood, there's no reason for her to have been taken." Legacy whispered.

"She must have known something. She knew something, and she was taken to keep her from talking." Ron murmured.

"You two get to the toilet, and I'll go get dipshit. If he's actually going to try and help Ginny, we may as well tell him what we know." They parted ways and Legacy hurried to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. She found Lockhart packing his bags. "Going somewhere?" She asked, startling him.

"Yes… urgent call, mustn't delay…"

"And what about Ginny?" Legacy leaned against the doorjamb.

"Such a shame… dreadful, really…"

"_Coward."_ His head snapped in her direction, and Legacy glared at him. "You're nothing but a coward. Did you even do anything you say you've done?"

"The books wouldn't have sold nearly as well if people hadn't thought I'd done those things!"

"So you… what, tracked people down who'd actually done these things, got the information, and then what?"

"I have always prided myself on my Memory Charms." Lockhart said, drawing his wand. He turned around and before he could utter a word, Legacy had disarmed him.

"Don't underestimate me. Now let's go, we've got a girl to save." She prodded him with her wand, forcing him ahead of her.

"We don't even know where this Chamber is supposed to be!" He wailed, and Legacy cast a silencing charm.

"You don't, but I do. Get moving." Legacy poked and prodded him the whole way down. Finally they arrived, and Harry raised a brow at her.

"What took you so long?"

"Dipshit here was trying to run away. Turns out he's nothing but a coward, a liar and a thief." She kicked Lockhart into the bathroom and he slipped on a puddle.

"You know he's still a teacher, right?" Ron asked, and Legacy shrugged.

"Not for long. I'm kind of hoping the basilisk is going to eat him. Barring that, I'm going to tell everyone exactly what he's done." Lockhart wriggled away from her towards the faucets. "Have you learned anything?" Legacy asked Harry.

"Myrtle says that she was in here when she died, and she heard a voice talking in a weird language. She stepped out of her cubicle and she saw a pair of big, yellow eyes over at this faucet before she died. She also said that it's never worked." Legacy nodded, stepping towards the faucet in question.

"You two keep an eye on him. I don't want him sneaking out of here." She bent and looked at the side of the tap, where there was a snake carved into the side of it. "Harry, did you see this?" He walked over to look at it as well.

"No, I hadn't looked at it yet." Legacy gestured towards the tap, taking a step back. "_Open."_ He hissed, and the room shuddered. They all stepped back as the sink sunk into the floor, revealing a large hole in the floor. Once everything stopped moving, Legacy took a step forwards.

"It's pretty dark down there." She walked across the room and grabbed Lockhart by the elbow, dragging him towards the hole. She gave him his voice back before shoving him towards the hole.

"Why me first?" Lockhart whined.

"Because you're the one we can afford to lose." Legacy shoved him down the hole, and he yelped as he fell. She listened as he fell, trying to gauge the distance.

"It's very dark down here." Lockhart's voice came up through the darkness, and Legacy hopped down next, followed by Ron then Harry. She landed at the bottom, and there were bones scattered all over the floor. Legacy turned around and helped Ron and Harry to their feet and made sure neither of them were hurt.

"All right. Everyone stay close, and shut your eyes if you see anything move. Let's go." The four of them proceeded along the dark tunnel, and eventually came upon a very large snake skin. When Lockhart saw it he fell into a dead faint.

"Look at the brave hero now." Legacy scoffed. She turned away for a moment, and that was enough for Lockhart to grab Ron's wand and spring up from the floor.

"The adventure ends here. I'll take a piece of the skin, say I was too late for the girl, and that you three tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body." Lockhart brandished Ron's wand at them, and Legacy began to laugh. Lockhart gave her an odd look but raised the wand. "_Obliviate_!" The spell rebounded and sent Lockhart flying into the ceiling, and rocks began to fall. Legacy pushed Ron towards Lockhart, out of their range, grabbed Harry and ran to the other side of the room. After the dust settled, Legacy walked towards the wall of rocks.

"Ron, are you all right?" Harry called out.

"Yeah, we're fine. What about you?"

"We're both here, Ron. His spell rebounded, so he's probably got no memories left at all. He's going to be even more useless than he was before. If he wakes up, just hit him with a rock." Legacy told him.

"Um… ok. I'll see if I can't clear any of this rubble while you two go get Ginny."

"Ok, Ron. Just be careful." Legacy then turned to Harry, and they continued down the tunnel. They came to a round door on which two entwined serpents were carved with gleaming emerald eyes. Legacy stepped towards it. _"Open."_ The door opened, the two halves sliding out of sight. They were now standing at the end of a long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars carved with more serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. They entered the room, wands at the ready, and walked towards the other end. At the far end of the chamber was a statue, and the details became visible as they approached it. It was nearly as high as the room itself; the face was ancient and monkey-like, with a long thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous grey feet stood on the smooth chamber floor. There was a figure lying on the floor between the feet; a figure with flame-red hair.

"Ginny!" Harry ran towards her, and Legacy followed. "Please don't be dead, please wake up." Legacy knelt on the floor beside them and touched Ginny's cheek. The girl was pale and freezing.

"She's not dead, but she's not Petrified either." Legacy informed him. "We have to get her out of here."

"She won't wake." Legacy quickly stood and pointed her wand at the newcomer. A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against a pillar, watching. He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though he was seen through a misted window.

"Tom – _Tom_ _Riddle_?" The other boy nodded, and Harry continued. "She won't wake? But she's not dead, Legacy said so."

"She's alive. But only just." The boy walked towards them.

"What are you?" Legacy asked. "You're not a ghost."

"A memory. Preserved in a diary for fifty years."

"Sure. Anyway, we have to get out of here. There's a great dirty snake in here, and it's probably hungry. I'll carry Ginny, and – where's your wand, Harry?" They both looked at the boy called Riddle, and he was idly twirling Harry's wand between his fingers. "Ok, give Harry his wand. We need to get out of here."

"It won't come unless it's called."

"Unless it's called? By whom?" Legacy asked the boy.

"I've been waiting a long time for this." Riddle said, ignoring her. "For the chance to see you. To speak to you." He was staring hungrily at Harry.

"I don't think you get it. We're in the _Chamber of Secrets._ We can talk later." Harry said, exasperated.

"We're going to talk now." The boy pocketed Harry's wand and smiled broadly.

"If that snake gets here, I hope it tries to eat you first, at least." Legacy muttered. Riddle was still ignoring her, and she was getting angry.

"How did Ginny get like this?" Harry asked, and Riddle explained. Ginny had gotten a hold of Riddle's diary somehow, and began to tell of her troubles – her brothers teasing her, how she'd had to buy second-hand books and robes, and how she'd never thought she'd get Harry to like her. In return, Riddle had possessed her, made her set the basilisk on the students and the cat, to kill all the roosters, and to write the threatening messages on the wall. She'd tried to get rid of the diary, and Harry had found it. In a bid to gain his trust, Riddle had shown him how Hagrid had been framed for the opening of the Chamber fifty years ago. Ginny had stolen back the diary afterwards, and Riddle had made her write the newest message on the wall before she came down. Because his new target was now Harry.

"How is it that a baby with no extraordinary powers managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How is it that you managed to escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"

"Why do you care? Voldemort was after your time." Harry demanded, and Riddle's smile grew.

"Voldemort is my past, my present, and my future." He pulled Harry's wand from his pocket and traced it through the air, writing three shimmering words:

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

He waved the wand once, and the letters of his name rearranged themselves.

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

"You see? Do you think I was going to keep my filthy Muggle father's name, who abandoned her upon finding out she was a witch? I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I became the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

"Albus Dumbledore is the greatest sorcerer in the world!" Harry snapped.

"Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" Riddle retorted. Before anything else could be said, music could be heard. It was eerie, spine-tingling, unearthly, yet beautiful. As the music grew to a crescendo, flames appeared at the top of one of the pillars. Legacy recognized Fawkes flying straight towards Harry, and it dropped the burden it carried at his feet, then landed on his shoulder. "That's a phoenix." Riddle murmured, then dropped his gaze to Harry's feet. "And that's the school Sorting Hat." He began to laugh, a sound that grated on Legacy's ears. "This is what Dumbledore sends his defender! A songbird, and an old hat."

"You seem to have forgotten about me." Legacy hissed, and they both seemed to have forgotten about her, whirling to face her.

"You aren't what I'm here for." Riddle snapped.

"That doesn't mean I won't fight you."

"Who are you, anyway? Someone he roped in to do his fighting for him?"

"Legacy Jones. I'm no one's errand girl, running around to do another's bidding. I choose my fights."

"She mentioned you from time to time." Riddle said, nodding towards Ginny. "She looks up to you. Too bad neither of you will be around much longer."

"You'll eat those words, boy." Legacy spat, and Riddle growled.

"You're just another filthy little MudBlood. Nothing you say or do matters."

"Well, technically I'm at least a half-blood. I've discovered who my mother was, and she's a pure-blood. So bite me."

"To business, Harry." Riddle turned on him, turning his back to Legacy. "Twice – in _your_ past, in _my_ future – we have met, and I have failed to kill you. _How did you survive?_"

"No one knows why your powers were lost when you attacked me. But I know why you couldn't _kill_ me. Because my mother died to save me. My common, _Muggle-born_ mother. She stopped you from killing me. And I've seen the real you, I saw you last year. You're a wreck. You're barely alive. That's where all your power got you. You're in hiding. You're ugly, you're foul!"

"Ah, so there's nothing special about you after all. Yes, that's a powerful counter-charm. Now, let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter, and the best weapons Dumbledore can give him." Riddle turned to face the statue and hissed. _"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four."_ Legacy looked up at the statue, and the mouth was now open, and there was something moving in it.

"Well, shit. Harry, get out! Hide, or something. This thing is huge."

"What about you?" Harry asked, and Legacy smiled wickedly.

"I'm going to blind it." She shifted and flew into the air, waiting for the basilisk to hit the ground. It was, in essence, just a really big snake. With a killer gaze, don't forget about that. She saw the phoenix in the air beside her.

_I'm going to go for the eyes. You in?_ Legacy asked him. Fawkes didn't respond, and she wondered if they could communicate at all, because he was a magical creature and he was not. The room shook as the basilisk hit the floor, and she dove at it, trying not to look at it as she did. When she was close the thing snapped at her, and she flew higher into the air, putting herself above it. Digging her talons into its eyes, she looked at a spot on its forehead, not looking down at her grim work. She saw Fawkes clawing out the other eye, and was grateful. It was disgusting, what she was doing, and she was glad she'd only have to do it once. Legacy finally pulled out a large chunk from the creature's eye, and felt that her work was done.

"_You may have blinded it, but it can still smell you!"_ Riddle said, and Legacy landed before shifting.

"You're not the only Parselmouth, Riddle! _Creature, obey me!"_ The basilisk turned towards her, and Legacy froze. Would it realize that she was the same creature that had just torn out one of its eyes? _"Kill the pretender!"_ She guided it towards Riddle, and it slithered towards him.

"_I am the Heir of Slytherin! Kill the boy, then her!"_ Legacy looked around for Harry, and he had the Sorting Hat on his head and was wielding a sword. Where had that come from?

"_I command you to kill the other!"_ Legacy went unheard as the creature dove at Harry, once, then twice. Legacy saw the point of the sword emerge through the roof of the creature's mouth before it fell to the ground. Harry was clutching his arm, and Legacy ran towards him. He pulled something out of his arm, and Legacy saw that it was a fang. "I'm so sorry, Harry." She whispered. Their eyes met, the blue full of sorrow and the green full of pain. "There's nothing I can do." Riddle was standing behind her, but she ignored him. Fawkes landed beside Harry and laid his head on the boy's arm, crying. Legacy felt her own eyes fill with tears as Harry's pain seemed to slip away. It was only when he raised his head to look at her that she remembered the properties of phoenix tears.

"Healing powers." Harry murmured, and Legacy smiled. Fawkes took off as Legacy heard footsteps behind her.

"I'd rather have it like this anyway." Riddle said, and Legacy felt ropes around her. "Just you and me…" In a flash of crimson wings, Fawkes dropped a small book in Harry's lap. Harry reached for the basilisk fang and raised it over his head before stabbing it into the book. Legacy couldn't see Riddle, but there was a flash of light and the ropes disappeared. Harry helped her up, and they ran over to Ginny.

With Fawkes' help the five of them returned to Myrtle's toilet, and then headed to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey called for Dumbledore, and he arrived with Arthur and Molly, who were relieved to see her in one piece. Dumbledore took Harry and Legacy aside, and she let Harry tell Dumbledore what had happened. She'd barely spoken to him since their conversation about her mother, and Legacy didn't really know what to say to him anyway. Dumbledore took Harry up to his office to discuss it more, and Legacy was left to the mercies of the school nurse. The next morning, the Mandrake Draught was given to the ones who'd been Petrified, and they were none the worse for wear. Exams had been cancelled for all of the students save fifth and seventh years, and there was a feast to celebrate.

Legacy had passed all of her OWLs and gotten Outstanding in all but Herbology, in which she'd gotten an Exceeds Expectations. She wanted to reward herself, and had decided on just the thing: she was going to get a Muggle tattoo. She'd seen them before, and thought that they were beautiful. She didn't tell anyone her plans just yet. Cedric found her, and he'd done very well in his, getting Outstanding in nearly every subject save for Potions, where he'd gotten an Acceptable, which meant that if he wanted to continue Potions he'd have to retake it.

"I'm glad that I'm done with Potions. I've never been good at it." He told her on the trip home.

"I'm glad that I'll be able to continue in my classes; I need almost every one of them to get into Auror training." Legacy responded.

"You still want to do that, then? Become an Auror?"

"Why not?" Legacy shrugged. "It's likely to be one of the least boring professions out there." Cedric laughed.

"You're probably right." They arrived at the train station soon after that and parted ways for another summer.


	7. Year six

Legacy went for her first tattoo sitting three days after her return to the Burrow. None of the Weasleys knew about it; she wanted it to be a surprise. It took a while to convince the artist that yes, she was old enough to get a tattoo, and that yes, she knew that she wanted it. It hurt a little more than she had expected it to, but it was well worth it. The outline was completed in the first sitting, then she waited ten days before returning. The wings were filled in and completed, and Legacy loved them. They covered her entire back from her shoulders to her hips, and nearly met along her spine. She had wanted to get them done in scarlet and gold, her house colours, but the artist had told her that the gold would quickly fade and so she settled for solid black. The tattoo itched and burned, but she didn't touch it or heal it with magic, feeling that would be cheating. Legacy had purchased a lotion at the tattoo parlour that was helping to deaden the itching sensation, and was having an extremely difficult time applying it. She was mid-lotion one morning when Ginny entered the room.

"Legacy, Mum says to come for – what is that?" Legacy hadn't noticed Ginny until the girl began to speak, so she'd seen the tattoo.

"It was my gift to myself for doing so well on my OWLs." Legacy explained. "Can you come give me a hand? I can't get all of the tattoo on my own." Ginny took the bottle of lotion from her and spread it over the tattoo.

"It's really pretty. What is it?"

"It's a Muggle tattoo."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Just you so far. Thank you." Ginny handed the bottle back and Legacy tugged her shirt on. "I don't know how your parents will react to it."

"Mum will probably be upset, but Dad will think it's cool. Fred and George will be in line to get their own, and I don't know about Ron and Percy." Ginny shrugged. "But I like it. It suits you. And besides, you're almost an adult, so Mum and Dad can't tell you what to do." The two of them went downstairs, and Molly was ecstatic.

"Girls, did you hear?" When they both shook their heads, Molly continued. "Your father won the Grand Prize Galleon Draw!"

"That's wonderful, Molly." The Weasleys sat around the table to discuss how to spend the money, and Legacy stepped outside. She felt that this was a conversation for them, and not for her.

It was eventually decided that they would go to visit Bill in Egypt. Molly tried to talk her into coming along, but she declined.

"I've never met Bill, and you should all have some time together as a family."

"What are you going to do all summer then?"

"There are supposed to be wizarding hotels all around Europe, maybe I'll go visit some of those." That was how she found herself in Northwestern Europe, near the North Sea. She'd been flying all over during the day, and spending her evenings at different wizarding hotels. Arthur had given her a map that pointed out where all the wizarding hotels in the country were, and she was very grateful for it because she'd have never found them on her own. She was flying over the North Sea, and as she was flying Legacy saw a large, black building not far ahead of her so she flew towards it. With a shudder she realized it was Azkaban, the wizard's prison. She felt depressed just being close to it, and turned around.

_Ouch. That hurt._ Legacy recognized the speech pattern of an animal and looked for it. She would have to be careful, otherwise the animal might think she was there to eat it. As she got closer to the ground and the beach, she saw a large black dog.

_Don't be alarmed._ Legacy landed not far off, and the dog whined.

_Great. A bird._ The dog said.

_I'll have you know I'm an eagle, thank you very much!_ Legacy retorted hotly.

_That's even better. Because eagles have always had more brains than vanity. _Thedogsaiddryly_. I bet you were impressed with that form, weren't you?_

_What are you talking about?_ Legacy asked.

_You can't tell? How long have you been an Animagus?_ The dog asked.

_I have no idea what you're talking about._ Legacy told him, genuinely confused.

_I'll make you a deal. You help me, and I'll help you. I'll teach you how to tell another Animagus from just an animal. _

_I would have helped you anyway. I'm going to change so I can heal you._ _What do I call you?_

_Padfoot._ Legacy remembered the name from the Marauder's Map and was instantly curious, but she didn't press it. She quickly shifted so she could search for wounds beneath Padfoot's fur. She found a few small gashes and healed them quickly. He was freezing, she needed to find a way to warm him up. She picked him up and walked inland, looking for a hotel or something close to the beach. She didn't have far to go; they were back on the mainland. Legacy quickly found a wizarding hotel and booked them into a hotel room before carrying Padfoot upstairs. She set Padfoot up next to the roaring fireplace and quickly locked the door and all the windows, closed the blinds and cast a Muffliato Charm on the room before sitting beside her furry roommate.

"I've done everything that I can to make this room unbreachable and uninteresting. What do you say about getting out of all that fur?" Legacy asked. Padfoot merely looked at her. "Come on. If you change back you can get out of all those wet clothes, and you'll warm up faster. If you want, I'll go see if I can find any clothes for you to wear." Padfoot stopped her and was rubbing his paw across his nose and snout. "Charades? Let's see... Something smells wrong? Hmm... Something smells right?" Padfoot shook his head at both suggestions. "You want to shave?" Padfoot barked and nodded. "I'll go get you some clothes, and I'll try to find a shaving kit. For now, you should just stay in dog form. We don't know if any of the housekeepers will come through, and there will be less questions if you stay like that." Padfoot curled up in front of the fire. "I shouldn't be long." Legacy closed the door and tried to hurry as best she could. She even stopped at the main desk to ask that the cleaning staff leave her room alone until after she left. Legacy had found some men's clothes in general sizes, seeing as she didn't have a lot of information about Padfoot and she'd found a very nice shaving kit. Legacy knew that this man was likely an escapee from Azkaban, considering where she'd found him, but he wasn't crazy, he hadn't tried to kill her, and she knew that nobody had ever escaped before. Therefore, this person was interesting. And besides, it wasn't like she had anything better to do. Padfoot had jumped to his feet when he heard the door, but seeing that it was her he sat back down. "I'm going to put all of this in the bathroom so that you can have some privacy. I didn't know what size you wear so I grabbed a bunch of things. We'll be able to work on shoes later, or tomorrow." She stepped out of the bathroom and was met by Padfoot, but he wasn't a dog anymore. He was now a man who stood about the same height that she did, with a gaunt, sunken face, waxy skin, and long, matted hair. Legacy smiled at him. "You can also have a shower, if you'd like; there should be more than enough shampoo and soap in there." Padfoot didn't smile, only studied her face. Legacy could feel the blush colouring her cheeks, but she didn't say anything.

"Why?" Padfoot asked quietly. "Why are you doing this?"

"I think that your story is going to be interesting, and I only know a part of it." Legacy shrugged.

"Who are you?" He asked her.

"My name is Legacy Jones, sir." She extended her hand towards him and he looked at it for a moment, as though remembering what he was supposed to do. He accepted it and shook it. "And who might you be?"

"I told you to call me Padfoot. It's better if you don't know my name." He continued studying her, his grey eyes roaming over her face. "Jones? I don't know any wizarding families by that name."

"Calling you Padfoot merely raises other questions. Such as: who were Moony, Wormtail, and Prongs?" Legacy smiled. "What was the purpose of the Marauder's Map?" He stepped around her into the bathroom, but she spoke through the door. "As soon as the Ministry hears that a prisoner escaped from Azkaban, it's going to be all over the _Prophet_. Then I'll know exactly who I helped, so not telling me your real name doesn't actually help at all." Legacy frowned slightly. "Actually, since you know I'm an Animagus, and I don't want to spend any time in Azkaban, I should probably help you stay out of there." The man hadn't said anything from the other side of the door, but Legacy wasn't worried. There weren't any windows in the bathroom anyway. "I figured out you were an escapee rather quickly. There was no other feasible reason for you to be out on that beach, especially not with your body at that temperature. That alone told me you'd been in the water a long time. But since you didn't try to kill me or run away, and you didn't sound crazy, I decided to continue helping. And I was curious about the map. So, that's why I'm helping you." The door to the bathroom opened, and Legacy leaned in. Padfoot was shaving at the sink.

"Do you always ramble like that?" Padfoot asked.

"Sometimes. I hope I grow out of it before I graduate." Padfoot's hand slipped, and a red spot appeared on his face.

"How old are you, Miss Jones?"

"Legacy. And I'm fifteen, turning sixteen soon enough."

"Legacy. How did you end up with that name?" Padfoot asked.

"Considering I'm standing here with unanswered questions, I think yours can wait." She snapped. "I could very well have saved your life." Padfoot chuckled.

"Touchy subject?"

"Answer my questions, and I'll answer yours." Legacy compromised. Padfoot quickly finished shaving, and the two of them sat by the fire.

"What's your birth name?" Legacy asked him.

"Sirius Black III." The man responded. Something niggled at the back of her head, but she shrugged it off. "And yours?"

"I grew up in a Muggle orphanage. The headmistress was given two pieces of information - Legacy, and a date. My birth date. 'Jones' was given to me by the Muggle government." Legacy steepled her fingers and looked at the man across from her. "Why did you escape?"

"For vengeance. There is a man who committed the crime that I was blamed for, and he still lives." Sirius snarled. "What do you know about the Marauder's Map?"

"I found it in Filch's office my first year there. It didn't take long to discover the pass-phrase. I would use it for my night-time wandering through the castle, my house was getting tired of my curiosity costing them points. Who are the other three names?" She asked him.

"Prongs is dead. He's been dead for almost twelve years now. I don't know where Moony is now, but I know that Wormtail is in Egypt. He'll be back at Hogwarts soon. What house are you in?"

"Gryffindor. What has Wormtail done?"

"He betrayed me and our friends. Because of that, two people are dead and a little boy was orphaned." Before he could ask his question Legacy spoke.

"That's how I know your name. Because of James and Lily Potter, and Peter Pettigrew."

"Yes. I was thrown into Azkaban because one little man decided that his skin was worth more than those of the people who trusted him!" Sirius was yelling, and Legacy didn't flinch. "Why aren't you running, or calling for help?" He asked her.

"A guilty man doesn't stay sane in Azkaban for twelve years." She replied quietly.

"That's all the proof you need?" He asked incredulously.

"I guess so." Legacy jumped off the floor. "You should probably shower. The shave helped, but once you clean your hair I'll trim it." She ushered him towards the shower. "I'm not going anywhere." She promised. When Legacy heard the water start running, she laid down on the bed, thinking about Sirius Black.

Legacy woke and looked around. The blanket was pushed up so that it was like a wall. On the other side lay Sirius Black, fast asleep. He didn't look near as haunted while he slept. Legacy assumed that this was his first good night's sleep in a long time. She stood up gently, so as not to rock the bed and leaned over him. She hadn't been able to trim his hair the night before, and it was everywhere. She reached down and gently brushed it out of his face, letting her hand linger a moment. She straightened and changed quickly, then left a note telling him she'd gone to get them both food before she stepped out. She walked out of the hotel and found a nearby deli and got them both large breakfasts - omelet and fruits, pancakes and bacon - and two black coffees as well as some tea before heading back. When she got back Sirius was still sleeping, so she started on her breakfast and coffee and read that morning's copy of the _Daily Prophet_ that had been left at their door. She saw that Sirius' escape from Azkaban was already front-page news. When Sirius woke, she used the paper to gesture towards the other chair.

"I bought you a tea and black coffee, because I don't know which you take, but I brought some creamers and sugar as well." She told him. "You're also on the front page already." She showed him the paper and he shrugged, turning to his food. She stepped into the bathroom to change into more comfortable clothes, and when she returned he was sipping on his tea.

"Thank you, Legacy." Sirius told her. "I hope you're keeping track of all this, because I intend to repay you."

"It doesn't matter that much. I don't mind. In fact, it's nice to have someone that I can spend some money on." Legacy laughed. "The Weasleys kind of took me in after my first year at Hogwarts, and they're much too proud to let me spend money on them." She explained.

"That's the family that was featured in the _Daily Prophet_, yes? They won the trip to Egypt?" Sirius asked.

"Well, not really. They won a sum of gold and they're using that to go to Egypt. I insisted that they go as a family. I'm almost an adult now, I think I can stay out of trouble for one summer." He laughed.

"Is this what you call staying out of trouble? Aiding and abetting an escaped criminal?" Legacy smiled.

"It's only trouble if you're guilty, which you're not. And I'm hoping to help get your name cleared." Sirius leaned forwards in his chair and placed his coffee on the table.

"Why are you going so far out of your way to help me?" He asked her. Legacy looked out the window.

"I guess I'm looking for redemption of my own." Sirius opened his mouth and Legacy cut him off. "That's all I'm going to say on that subject for now. I barely know you, and I don't know how you would react to certain information."

"Like how I would react to you telling me that Bellatrix Lestrange is your mother?" He asked dryly.

"How do you know that?" Legacy hissed. Sirius threw up his hands.

"I grew up with the girl. She's my maternal cousin. I know all of her old habits, and you share a lot of them with her. So I simply added up the facts, and your reaction proves that I'm right." Legacy relaxed slightly. "I can see why you'd call it redemption, but I don't see why you need it." Legacy shrugged.

"Let's get back to how we're supposed to clear your name." Sirius nodded.

"Have you seen a rat at the Weasleys? Bald spot on its head, missing a toe on the front?"

"Scabbers. He's been in the family for a long time. Twelve years, I think. How do you know about it?" Sirius went on to explain how one of their friends in school had been a werewolf, and how he, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew all became Animagi to help him.

"Every Animagus has a mark that sets them apart from other animals. His was always that bald spot. And he cut off a finger to help fake his death, so that's why he's missing a toe."

"So we what, grab Scabbers – er, Pettigrew, sorry – and force him into human form and take him to the Ministry to confess?" Legacy asked.

"No. I want that bastard dead!" Sirius snarled. Legacy put her hand over Sirius'.

"Killing Pettigrew won't clear your name, Sirius. If anything, it will put you in a worse light. We need him alive." Legacy said softly.

"You're right." Sirius sighed. "It's just that the only thing that kept me sane in that hellhole was thinking about killing that bastard, and telling myself that I didn't kill James and Lily. That it's not my fault they're dead." He ran a hand through his hair. "So what's your plan?" Legacy fetched the scissors she'd purchased and began to trim his hair as she spoke.

"We need you to hide."

"What?" Sirius spun around in the chair to face her, and Legacy pushed his head back.

"If you do that again I might take out an eye. Sit still." Sirius mumbled something she didn't hear, but she ignored it. "If Pettigrew sees you, he'll go to ground. We'll get him at Hogwarts. Dumbledore will be right there, he'll listen to us."

"I see your point. I can't hide at the Weasleys, too close to temptation."

"Then where will you go?"

"I need to go check on something, now that I'm out. You can't talk me out of it, so don't even try."

"I'm not your keeper." She said softly, but something inside screamed otherwise. "How are you going to get to the school?"

"I'll probably smuggle myself into the cargo carrier. I'll be fine." Legacy found that she worried anyway, and didn't understand it.

"How short do you want your hair?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"Ear to shoulder length. That's how I used to wear it." Legacy nodded and quickly finished. She forced herself to step back. She felt the need to run her fingers through his hair, but she thought that he wouldn't appreciate that. He stepped into the bathroom, and Legacy let out a deep breath. She didn't know why she felt like this around him, it made no sense. They'd known each other for less than a day, and she was going all mother-mode on him. Legacy didn't know why she felt a need to protect him, he was years older than her. "Thank you." Sirius came back out of the bathroom, and she smiled at him.

"It's no trouble." She responded. "I'll head to Diagon Alley, I need to get my school things. But before I leave, I'll need to use the shower myself."

"I can leave, if you need me to." Sirius said.

"You don't need to leave yet. If you're still hungry, I'll call room service before I hit the shower."

"I can do that." Sirius protested, but Legacy shook her head.

"I booked us, remember? What will they think if they receive a call from a man for this room?" Sirius frowned. "You look over the menu and write down what you want, and I'll call them up." As Sirius pored over the menu, Legacy stepped into the bathroom. Sirius hadn't used all of the towels, so the only thing she'd need to order was food.

"That's fresh." Sirius' voice startled her and she spun around. He was standing in the bathroom door. "I didn't mean to startle you. I saw part of your tat as you were walking away."

"My what?" She asked.

"Tattoo. 'Tat' is just short." He smiled. "I was noticing that it's fresh, recently done." Legacy nodded. "Did it hurt?"

"More than I expected at first, but then not so much."

"Is it your first?"

"Yes, but I don't think it'll be my last. Would you like to see the rest of it?" Legacy asked without thinking. She felt like kicking herself, but Sirius nodded.

"If that's all right with you. I can only see part of it." Legacy turned and pulled her shirt partway over her shoulders, exposing her back. She could feel his gaze as though he was touching her. "That's rather large for a first tattoo. I'm impressed." She tugged her shirt back down and smiled.

"Do you have any?" She asked, and he pulled his shirt off over his head. He had numerous tattoos over his chest and stomach, and down his arms.

"They're mostly wizarding runes." He explained, going on to describe them more, but Legacy was fighting a desire to run her fingers along his tattoos.

"You're so _thin_." She murmured, and he shrugged.

"I guess that's what comes of living… there." He pulled his shirt back on.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you or anything." Sirius looked at her oddly, and she blushed.

"It's been a long time since anyone cared about what I felt, or what I wanted." Legacy slipped past him out of the bathroom.

"I'll go order your food." Sirius didn't respond, and she looked back over her shoulder. He'd already shifted into his dog shape. "That's a good idea." Once she'd ordered his food she went back to the bathroom and closed the door. She stood under the water, trying to sort out her emotions. What was wrong with her? She'd never been like this around the opposite gender. When the water running over her turned cold she'd not come any closer to an answer. Legacy turned off the water, shaking her head. She'd just have to find a way to work around this. She couldn't see where she'd put her tattoo lotion and frowned.

"Do you see a bottle of lotion out there?" Legacy called out. A few moments later Sirius opened the door slightly, lotion in hand. "Thank you." She accepted the bottle from him and turned her back to the mirror, trying to reach the whole tattoo.

"It's no problem." Sirius murmured from the doorway. Legacy realized belatedly that she was standing there in only a towel and blushed again. When the door closed, part of her was sad. Once she'd gotten lotion onto everything she could reach and dressed herself, she walked out into the room. The food had arrived while she'd been in the shower, and Sirius had eaten. He was sitting in the chair, his back facing her. "I didn't eat all of it. It's nearly noon, and I thought you might be hungry." Legacy sat down at the table and began to eat, finding that she'd been hungrier than she had thought. "I thought that I might head out soon." Sirius said, and Legacy's heart fell.

"I don't usually stay more than one night at hotels anyway." Legacy said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"You stay at hotels often?" He asked, and Legacy shook her head as she swallowed her food.

"Just this summer. I wanted to see more of Britain anyway, and this summer seemed an opportune time. Once I announced my intentions for the summer, Arthur gave me a map that shows the locations of all the wizarding hotels in Britain."

"Who's Arthur?"

"Arthur Weasley, the patriarch of the Weasley family. I consider him a father figure. He and his wife, Molly, have had me to stay the Burrow every summer since I started school."

"The Burrow?"

"Don't ask me. That's what their home is called. I like it there. Much friendlier than the orphanage. I never got along well with the other children there, and after I began to display signs of magic they liked me even less." Sirius didn't say anything. Legacy didn't know why she was being so open with him. She'd only just met him, but it wasn't as though he had anyone to tell. When she was finished eating, Sirius stood from the chair. "I'll go pay up at the front desk, then be on my way."

"Thank you. I never expected to have any kind of help in this." Sirius extended his hand, and Legacy shook it. "I'll see you at Hogwarts."

Legacy made the trip to Diagon Alley, thinking of Sirius the whole time. She was so distracted that she nearly flew into an electricity post, so after that she shifted and called the Knight Bus. She got a room in the Leaky Cauldron before going out to purchase her school supplies. When she got back later she ran into Harry, who shared the incident he'd had with his 'Aunt'.

"Merlin's beard, Harry. Do you enjoy doing these things to people?" Legacy laughed.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Harry told her. Since their adventure in the Chamber of Secrets, she and Harry had become better friends. Legacy considered the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione to be her family. "So, what have you heard about this Sirius Black fellow?" Harry asked her.

"About the same thing everyone else has, really. The first person to escape from Azkaban, and apparently no one's seen hide nor hair of him since." Legacy shrugged. "Why? Have you heard something?" Harry shook his head.

"Arthur said something odd to me the other night." Harry told her. "He said that no matter what I hear, I'm not supposed to go looking for him. Apparently he wants to kill me."

"Why would he want to kill you?" She asked him.

"Apparently he was muttering something about 'he's at Hogwarts' before he escaped, and he was supposed to be a big supporter of Voldemort. And he's supposed to be crazy." Harry shrugged. "I guess I'll just have to get used to people trying to kill me." Legacy was tempted to tell Harry everything, but she didn't have any proof yet and she didn't know how Harry would react.

"Who told you that?" Legacy asked instead. Harry told her about his meeting with Fudge the night he'd arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Legacy didn't know what to say to that. "Just be careful, that's all." Legacy said.

Legacy hoped that Sirius had been able to smuggle himself on board. She was with Harry, Ron and Hermione, and they found a car that had one sleeping passenger. Hermione opened the door.

"It's the only one left; the others are all full." She said. They followed her in.

"Who do you suppose he is?" Ron asked, nodding towards their companion.

"Professor R.J Lupin." Hermione stated.

"How do you know that?" Ron turned to Harry. "Does she know absolutely everything?" Hermione sighed and pointed overhead.

"It's on his luggage, Ron."

"Oh." They were all talking about what they'd done over the summer when the train stopped. "We're not at Hogwarts already, are we?" Ron asked, looking out the window. His breath fogged, and ice appeared.

"I don't think that's a good sign." Legacy said, drawing her wand. The lights flickered off, and something large and dark opened the car door. Legacy felt... well, sad was the right word, but it wasn't enough to describe the feeling. The thing floated around the room and seemed drawn to Harry. Legacy recognized it belatedly as a Dementor, one of the guards for Azkaban prison.

_"Expecto Patronum!"_ The man who'd been sleeping was chasing off the Dementor. Harry had passed out, and Hermione was trying to wake him. The ice melted from the windows, and the lights came back on. Harry finally woke, and Lupin offered him some chocolate.

"Eat it, it'll help. I'm going to find out what the meaning of this was." Lupin left, and they all turned to Harry.

"Did you hear the screams?" Harry asked. Ron and Hermione shook their heads.

"We didn't hear anything." Legacy told him. Harry held his head and ate his chocolate. The rest of the trip was spent in silence.

After the Sorting Ceremony, Dumbledore stood to make a few announcements.

"Professor R.J Lupin has agreed to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Professor Kettleburn, who has been our Care of Magical Creatures teacher for many years, has decided to retire, in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am pleased to announce that his post will fall to none other than our own Rubeus Hagrid. Finally, on a more disquieting note, at the request of the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban, until such a time that Sirius Black is captured. The Dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the school. Whilst I have been assured that their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities, a word of caution: Dementors are vicious creatures. They will not distinguish between the one they hunt, and the one that gets in their way." Legacy thought she felt Dumbledore's gaze settle on her for a moment, but she shrugged it off as just nerves. "Therefore, I must warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving." With that, Dumbledore sat down and bade them to begin the feast. Legacy was lost in thought while eating. The Dementors were an unexpected surprise, but Sirius had given them the slip once, surely he could do so again. Later that very evening, once everyone else had gone to bed, Legacy shifted to the eagle and flew out the window to look for Sirius. They'd agreed to meet by the Whomping Willow. Legacy couldn't fathom why he would want to meet there, but perhaps he was gambling on people giving it a wide berth. She landed and shifted back.

"Sirius?" She whispered. A black dog appeared, and she sighed in relief. "I didn't know if you had gotten on the train or not, and with the Dementors here..." He stiffened at the mention of the Dementors, and disappeared near the base of the tree. Legacy cast a spell on the tree that would hold it still for a minute, and she walked towards where she'd seen him last. There was a hole there, and she slid into it. She walked down the tunnel, and it led to a building. She walked up the stairs and saw Sirius, now in human form.

"You said there were Dementors?" He asked. She relayed the events on the train, as well as Dumbledore's speech. "Lupin is here? Remus Lupin?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know if that's his first name, but his initials are R.J." She told him. "Does that change anything?" She asked.

"I don't know. It could make things easier or harder. Who has the Marauder's Map?" He asked.

"I gave it to Fred and George Weasley. I didn't need it anymore." She told him.

"The map shows a person's name no matter what. Polyjuice potion, Animagus, nothing can hide you from the map." Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "Remus' presence could be a help or a hindrance."

"Why is that?" Sirius shook his head.

"It's not my place to reveal that secret. I'm sorry."

"I understand protecting someone else. It's fine." Legacy smiled. "I have the password to get into the common room. Do you want to start tonight?"

"Not yet. I want to scout it out some first, look for some weaknesses. I don't want to show my hand too early." Sirius told her. "I'll probably spend a lot of time here, if you're ever looking for me."

"I'll try to bring you people food whenever I can." Legacy promised him.

"You should probably head back before someone sees that you're gone." Sirius told her.

"That's unlikely. I folded up my pillows so it looked like there was someone in the bed." Legacy sat down on a chair. "I was wondering if you wanted to talk for a while."

"We've already discussed everything that's important." Sirius said brusquely. Legacy shook her head.

"You're still thinking like a prisoner. I want to be your friend, Sirius. I want to help you break out from this obsession that's trapping you." Sirius sighed and sat on the other chair.

"What do you want to talk about?" He asked her.

"Why don't you just tell me about yourself? Your childhood, your time in school." Sirius told her about his home, his family. He was the sole heir of the House of Black, a once-notable pure-blood wizarding family. His parents were both Blacks by birth, they'd been second cousins to each other. He'd had a younger brother who disappeared in 1979, they presumed he was dead. "I never did have a close relationship with him. He was a better pure-blood than I ever was."

"Were your parents Death Eaters?" Legacy asked. Sirius laughed and shook his head.

"No, no, but believe me, they thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the wizarding race, getting rid of the Muggle-borns and having pure-bloods in charge." Sirius turned to look out the window. "Look, I've kept you up all night. You need to get some sleep before classes. We can talk more another night." Legacy stood, stretching. "Thank you for everything." Legacy smiled at him. "If someone told me that Bellatrix's daughter would help me clear my name, I would have laughed at them." Legacy flinched.

"I'd prefer if you wouldn't associate me with her so freely." Legacy said, walking over to the window.

"I'm not trying to offend you, I'm sorry." Sirius looked her over. "You don't look like Regulus."

"Who is Regulus?"

"Regulus Lestrange, her husband." Sirius frowned at her. "I'm surprised you didn't know that."

"Dumbledore only told me who my mother is, so I'm going to assume that he doesn't think that this Regulus is my father."

"Wouldn't surprise me. Bellatrix was pissed when she learned her mother had chosen him. They didn't have what I'd call a friendly relationship."

"It was an arranged marriage?"

"Most pure-blood marriages are. The parents want to know that their children have 'good matches'."

"What about love?" Legacy asked, and Sirius laughed.

"The last Black who married for love married a Muggle. You can probably guess how well that went over with her parents."

"What do you think about it?"

"I think that people should be allowed to make their own decisions. That's part of being an adult." Legacy smiled.

"Thank you for talking with me. I probably should be going." Sirius followed her to the tunnel entrance.

"Thank you. I didn't realize how much I needed this. I'm starting to feel like a real man again, and not just a shell of the man I used to be."

"You're welcome."

Legacy visited Sirius almost every night, looking forward to the end of the day when she could talk to him. He was sharing more about his life and family. She tried to balance both him and school work, but it was getting difficult. She had black rings around her eyes, and wasn't as responsive in class as she used to be. When questioned about it, she claimed to be overly sensitive to the presence of the Dementors, and this excuse seemed to be accepted. On one of her trips to the Shrieking Shack, Sirius told her he was ready.

"I want to get into the castle tomorrow night." He told her. "It's Hallowe'en, so everyone should be relatively distracted. Make sure everyone sees you." Legacy smiled.

"Worried about me, are you?" She teased him. He glared at her.

"This isn't a joke, Legacy." He took a breath before speaking again. "And yes, I am. I worry about you, Legacy. I worry that you'll be followed one of these times, and that we'll be discovered. I'm more worried about what will happen to you than I am about returning to Azkaban." Legacy's eyes widened.

"I didn't realize you worried that much."

"It's been a long time since I've had someone else to worry about. I enjoy our talks together. I care about-" He paused and took a deep breath. "I care about what happens to you." Sirius took a step closer to her. "I don't want to see you come to harm because of me." Sirius looked much better than he had when they'd first met - he'd started gaining back the weight he'd lost while imprisoned, his hair was growing back healthier and was regaining some of its natural waves. Legacy noticed for the first time just how handsome he really was.

"So. Tomorrow night." Legacy cleared her throat, changing the subject. They laid out a plan, and Legacy promised that she'd be the center of attention.

"If this doesn't work, security is going to be tightened. You might not want to come back right away." Sirius warned her.

"Nothing could keep me from you." When Sirius smiled, Legacy realized how that had sounded and blushed. "I mean, um-" Sirius laughed, and Legacy scowled at him.

"You're nothing if not entertaining, Legacy." He brushed her cheek with his fingers. "I couldn't do this without you." Legacy handed him the list of passwords that she'd picked up from the Gryffindor common room and left, her face scarlet.

Legacy was trying to hide her nervousness beneath smiles. She wanted to be upstairs, helping Sirius, but she'd promised to stay in the Great Hall. She didn't care if she was caught, her only concern was Sirius.

"Legacy, are you not feeling well?" She jumped and turned around to see Dumbledore standing behind her.

"No, sir - I mean, yes sir. I mean - I'm feeling well. Right as rain." She smiled up at the headmaster.

"Are you certain? There's nothing you wish to tell me?" His piercing blue eyes seemed to be staring at her soul, and she felt like her secrets were bared to the world.

"No, sir. There's nothing that needs to be said." Legacy reminded herself to never play poker as Dumbledore walked away. After the feast everyone headed upstairs to their common rooms, and she felt like a string wound so tight it was liable to snap at any moment. She sat in the common room as the other Gryffindors went to their dorms, and it wasn't long before she heard a shout from the boy's side. Her heart jumped into her throat and she forced herself to sit in the chair and to not pace around the room. Sirius somehow snuck past the boys in dog form and she shooed him out before he was caught. Not long after that, someone was sent to fetch McGonagall. She came to assess the situation. The first thing she wanted to know was how Sirius had gotten in, and the Fat Lady told McGonagall that she'd let him in.

"Read me all of the passwords for the next week or so, and he was ever so polite about it." She said. McGonagall threw her hands into the air.

"Who was the fool that left the list sitting around?" Legacy felt a twinge of guilt as forgetful Neville Longbottom raised his hand. The heads of houses decided to have the entire school sleep in the Great Hall that night. Safety in numbers, and all. Legacy was burning with the need to go see Sirius, but she knew she couldn't risk it. Not tonight. She was laying on her makeshift bed trying to sleep when she overheard Snape and Dumbledore talking.

"There is someone here who might be willing to help Black get into the castle undetected." Snape was saying. Legacy began to tremble. Had they figured her out already?

"He lost friends because of Black's disloyalty. I do not think he would help him." They passed out of earshot, but the gears in her mind went into overdrive. Who were they talking about? She decided to ask Sirius about anyone that he'd gone to school with that might still be in the castle. After that she tried to sleep, but it was a long time coming.

It was almost a week before Legacy felt it was safe enough to visit Sirius again. It was the first Quidditch match of the year, and even with the rain she saw that nearly everyone had left. She still gave the pitch a large berth, and snuck back to the Shrieking Shack. When Sirius wasn't there, she began to worry. Had he been discovered? No, the Dementors were still there. Had he been captured, he would likely be paraded around before being taken back to Azkaban. She paced in the small room, waiting for him to come back. It was more than an hour later that she heard a sound in the tunnel, and when she saw Sirius he was soaked. She ran and threw her arms around him.

"Damnit, Sirius!" Her voice broke. "I was worried sick about you!"

"I didn't think you'd be coming during the day." He explained. She pulled away and slapped his arm.

"Where the hell were you?" She demanded.

"I wanted to watch Harry play. He's just as good as his father. Then the Dementors showed up, and he fell off his broom." Legacy was confused.

"Why would it matter if you saw Harry play Quidditch?" She asked.

"I guess they don't advertise that fact." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm his godfather."

"Why didn't you tell me that?" She asked. Sirius shrugged.

"I guess I didn't think about it."

"Of course you didn't think about it! And look at you! What happens if you get sick, Sirius? I don't know a whole lot of healing magic, and you don't have a wand." Sirius looked down at her, his head tilted somewhat.

"I didn't realize that you cared this much, Legacy." She didn't quite know what to think of that, so she let it slide.

"I worry about you too, you know." She grumbled. Sirius laughed and pulled her into an embrace. "Don't laugh at me." She mumbled into his chest.

"So what's going to happen to us when my name gets cleared?" Sirius asked. "Are we just going to go our separate ways?" Legacy liked the way he said 'us'. It made her feel like she was a part of something important, like somebody depended on her being there.

"I don't know. I'd like to talk to you once in a while, so don't go running off anywhere. We're friends, right?"

"I promise that I won't be far." Sirius laughed, and Legacy squeezed him for a moment. When they pulled apart, they were both smiling.

"You're still soaked. We need to dry your clothes out."

"I have some of the other things you bought. I'll change into those." Legacy stepped into the hall to give him some privacy and realized that she was soaking, too. She pulled out her wand and tried to dry off her clothes, but it wasn't working very well. Sirius opened the door, and she stepped back in. Legacy started a small fire and hung his clothes nearby. "You don't need to coddle me." Sirius grumbled.

"I'm just used to it, I guess." She shrugged. "One of the only girls in a houseful of boys, you get used to doing things for them." She stood next to the fire and tried to hide the fact that she was shivering.

"You going to be all right?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, I'm just cold. I'll be fine, I have to go back out in this later anyway."

"That doesn't change anything. Here, let's make the fire bigger-"

"And risk you getting caught? No." He took a step towards the fire, and Legacy held up a hand. "No." She cast a Heat Charm on herself and smiled. "See? All better."

"That doesn't change the fact that you're standing there in wet clothes." Sirius said, frowning.

"Oh, so this is just an attempt to get me out of my clothes?" Legacy teased, and Sirius smiled.

"Yes, I see you've caught on to my cunning plan." Legacy laughed.

"It's good to see you smile. Your face is made for them."

"Thank you." Sirius looked into the fire, and they were silent for a moment.

"I just realized that I never asked when your birthday was." Legacy commented.

"I turned thirty four two weeks ago." He told her.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have gotten you a gift!" She exclaimed.

"I think you've spent enough on me. Legacy, I..." He broke off and looked away. "I'd have never gotten this far without your help. I owe you everything."

"You don't owe me anything, Sirius." She smiled at him.

"You may not think so, but I do." He whispered.

They had decided that it was too dangerous to try a break-in at the castle again.

"I'll see if I can't catch him and bring him down here. I'm your ace in the hole, no one knows that I'm helping you." Sirius agreed, and Legacy asked Ron about his pet rat.

"That monster of Hermione's killed it." Ron moaned. "I haven't seen him since Christmas." Legacy thought this was unlikely, but didn't mention that to him. She continued her search but couldn't find him anywhere. She didn't tell Sirius that she couldn't find the rat. Sitting in the common room one night, while waiting for everyone to go to bed, she heard Harry talk about his private lessons with Lupin and asked about them.

"You remember how he chased away that Dementor on the train?"

"Yes, I do. That thing was horrible."

"Well, he's teaching me the spell. It's been pretty useful so far."

"I wonder if he'd teach me? That does sound useful."

"Just go ask him, he should agree." So that was how she found herself headed down to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom the next evening.

"The spell is easy to learn, but difficult to use. You need to keep happy thoughts at the front of your mind at all times." He told her. "Have you ever faced a Boggart?" He asked her. Legacy shook her head. "Another student approached me about learning the spell, and the Boggart they faced became a Dementor. Perhaps we should see if the same can be done for you." Legacy knew what a Boggart was - it was a magical creature that took the shape of a person's worst fear. As she followed Lupin, she saw something on his desk that caught her eye. It was the Marauder's Map! "Jones?" Lupin asked her.

"Legacy. And how did you get the Marauder's Map?" She asked incredulously. His eyes narrowed.

"How do you know what it is?" He asked in return.

"I... appropriated it from Mr Filch my first year here, and when I no longer had need of it, I passed it to some friends of mine." She explained. "See anything interesting?" She asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"I appropriated it from Mr Potter when he was wandering the halls one night with it." He told her. How had Harry gotten it? Maybe Fred and George had given it to him. She hadn't spent much time with her friends this year, not with visiting Sirius every night. She felt guilty about that, but Sirius needed her more than the Weasleys did. "And I have seen some interesting things." Lupin said vaguely. Legacy hoped he'd not seen Sirius on the map. She had to warn him, but she couldn't leave now, it would only arouse suspicion.

"Let's see what this Boggart does, sir." Legacy said, tamping down her fear. As it was, the Boggart did not comply with what she wanted. It was not a Dementor that came out of the closet, but Sirius. He was lying on the ground. Even though she knew it wasn't real, it hurt to see him so still. She walked closer and he looked worse than he had when they'd first met - a veritable skeleton. She realized he wasn't breathing, and that was when she ran closer.

"No, no, no, nononono..." She murmured, running a hand through his hair. "Sirius!" She wailed.

"_Riddikulus."_ Lupin's voice came from behind her, and she remembered where she was. She groaned and turned to face him. Lupin didn't look angry, he was studying her. Legacy swallowed around the lump in her throat.

"I'm not giving him up." She growled, raising her wand. "We've worked too hard to have it end now." Lupin put his wand down on the floor and kicked it towards her.

"I'm not going to turn him in." Lupin told her. Legacy knelt and picked up his wand. "I saw Pettigrew's name on the map."

"Then you know what we're doing." Lupin nodded.

"The only thing I haven't figured out is this: What's your stake in all of this?"

"We're going to bring Pettigrew to justice and clear his name. Then he'll be free to do what he wants."

"You're avoiding the question." Lupin pointed out.

"You haven't been completely honest either." Legacy spat. "When were you going to let us know you're a werewolf?"

"He told you that?" Lupin asked, dumbstruck.

"_You're_ the werewolf friend?" She asked.

"If he didn't tell you, how did you find out?" He asked.

"It wasn't that hard. You disappear on the full moon every month, and then you walk around like a man on his deathbed." Legacy shrugged. "It didn't hurt that Snape made us do a paper on identifying werewolves, either." Lupin frowned.

"Can I come talk to him?" Legacy shook her head.

"Let me talk to him first." Lupin studied her.

"You love him." It was a statement, not a question.

"I'm protecting him!" She snarled. "How do I know that this isn't some ruse to find out where he is so you can turn him in?"

"You go out to the Whomping Willow every night and then disappear off the map. He's in the Shrieking Shack."

"You're stalking me?!" Legacy screeched. Belatedly she decided to cast a Muffliato Charm on the room.

"I've been watching Pettigrew's movements." Lupin told her. "If he disappeared, I was going to go and tell Sirius about it, and I noticed your excursions. After what I've just learned, they make more sense now."

"Let me talk to him first, tonight. I'll let you know when you can come see him." Lupin nodded, and she tossed him back his wand. "But know this: If you turn him in, or do anything else that might harm him, you will pay for it." She hissed.

"He's lucky to have you." Lupin told her. Legacy ignored that statement and left the room.

When Legacy went down to the Whomping Willow that night, she saw Harry and Hermione dodging the tree. She quickly froze the tree and ran over.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Legacy demanded.

"A black dog dragged Ron down the hole." Harry pointed.

"Did he have the rat with him?" Legacy asked.

"Yes, but why does that matter?" Hermione asked.

"It matters." Legacy growled, and headed into the hole. They went down the tunnel, Legacy leading the way. When they emerged on the other side, Legacy took the stairs two-by-two.

"You seem to know this place quite well." Hermione noted. Legacy ignored her and pushed open the door to see Ron on the bed.

"It's Sirius Black! He's an Animagus!" Ron pointed behind them. Sirius was behind the door, and he pushed it closed behind them. Harry growled angrily and jumped at him.

"Harry, don't!" Legacy shouted, pulling Harry off.

"Don't you know what he did?" Harry shouted at her.

"It's not true, Harry. You trust me, right?" Harry nodded. "Good. Sirius Black did not turn your parents over to Voldemort, that I swear."

"You can't know that!" Harry shouted.

"Sirius never worked for Voldemort." Legacy said, trying to calm Harry down. "Peter Pettigrew did."

"Peter Pettigrew is dead! HE killed him!" Harry pointed at Sirius.

"Peter Pettigrew is very much alive, Harry. From what I understand, Fred and George gave you the Marauder's Map." Harry nodded. "Did you ever see Pettigrew's name on it?" Another nod. "Peter Pettigrew is another unregistered Animagus."

"His form was that of a rat." Legacy turned to see Lupin walk through the door. "That rat, to be precise." He pointed at Scabbers, who was still desperately trying to get away from Ron.

"You're nuts, the lot of you. Scabbers has been in my family for-"

"Twelve years! Curiously long lifetime, for a rat. He's missing a toe, isn't he?" Sirius broke in.

"My, my. How I've longed for this moment." Legacy turned and saw Snape now entering the room. "Sirius... and Remus. I told Dumbledore that you weren't to be trusted." Legacy stepped in front of Sirius.

"I won't let you touch him." She growled.

"Such loyalty, Sirius. Quite a spell you've cast."

"What the hell are you on about?" She asked him.

"You've all obviously been bewitched somehow." Snape said. "That's the only explanation for the lot of you so be simply sitting here, while the man who betrayed the Potters stands right in front of you." Legacy shook her head and snapped up her wand.

"_Stupefy!"_ Snape flew into the wall, unconscious. She turned to Ron. "Give me the rat, Ron." Ron was staring at Snape, and the rat chose that moment to bolt. Legacy handed Sirius her wand, and he and Lupin cast spells at him, trying to make him turn back. They got him just before he crawled through a hole in the wall, and suddenly a small, dirty man with long nails was there in the rat's place.

"Remus? Sirius! My old friends." Pettigrew was still snuffling, then he tried to bolt. Lupin and Sirius caught him and bodily threw him against the wall.

"Your friends?" Sirius scoffed. "James and Lily were your friends, and look what happened to them!"

"He would have killed me!" Pettigrew whimpered, and Legacy was disgusted.

"You should have died!" Sirius yelled. "Any one of us would have died for you! And you're going to pay for that!" Sirius flicked Legacy's wand, and Pettigrew fell over, tied up. "You're going to Azkaban." Sirius handed Legacy her wand back, and she smiled at him.

"I'm proud of you." She whispered. He smiled and gave her hand a squeeze.

"You should see to the Weasley boy. I think I broke his leg."

Legacy was unable to do much beyond splint Ron's leg, so Lupin and Hermione were supporting him through the tunnel. They left Snape in the Shrieking Shack to wake up on his own. Legacy and Sirius were in the back, with Pettigrew in front of them. Harry was leading the way.

"You could have killed him, but you didn't." Legacy whispered, and Sirius shrugged. "I know how much you want him dead. But this will be better." When they reached the end of the tunnel Legacy knelt to check on Ron, and Sirius walked away from the tree. Harry walked towards him, and it looked like they were talking.

"So... you and Sirius, huh?" Hermione asked, smiling.

"I don't know." Legacy said, shaking her head. "With all of this… I just don't know."

"After tonight he'll be a free man."

"I know. And I don't want him to feel tied to me, like I expect it in return for helping him. He's spent a long time locked up. He deserves a chance to make his own choices."

"He also deserves a chance to be happy. I've seen how he looks at you, and I don't think you should make his decisions for him."

"How am I making a decision for him by not telling him?"

"Because by not telling him you're taking a decision away from him." Hermione stood, and her face paled. "Oh no!" She shouted. They all turned to look at where she was pointing. It was a full moon, and Lupin hadn't taken his Wolfsbane potion. Legacy hid Ron as best she could and pushed Hermione towards him. She shifted into the eagle as Lupin began to change. She'd never seen a werewolf before, and she hoped she never would again. He was a monstrous thing, eight feet tall and skeletal, but extremely strong. She tried to draw its attention away from where the others were, but it wasn't working. Snape had come out of the tunnel, and he stood in the direct path of the werewolf, in front of Ron and Hermione. Sirius had shifted as well, but it wasn't enough; not with humans nearby. With one swipe of its paw it send Snape and Hermione flying, and it advanced on Ron. Harry threw a rock and hit its head, drawing attention towards him. Sirius jumped and grabbed its arm, and it turned from Harry to follow Sirius. Legacy flew overhead, trying to distract it. A howl sounded in the woods, and it turned to chase after that. Legacy landed and shifted, and saw Sirius had done the same. He was wandering towards the lake, and she followed. By the time she caught up with him he'd collapsed at the lakeside, and she tried to wake him.

"Sirius! Sirius, you have to wake up!" It was at that moment she remembered that she'd abandoned Pettigrew in the fighting, but she didn't care. "Sirius, please wake up. I love you!" She sobbed. She started to feel cold, and she looked up and saw the first Dementor soaring overhead. She whipped out her wand. _"Expecto Patronum!"_ A silvery-white eagle flew from the tip of her wand, but it wasn't enough. She saw a stag Patronus, then saw that Harry had followed her down to the lakeside. She cast the spell again, concentrating on thinking about Sirius. His laugh... his smile... but there were too many Dementors. She fell to her knees, and saw Harry still standing. Just before her world turned black she saw a bright light across from her, and the Dementors fleeing. She crawled over to Sirius and laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat steadily beneath her.

Legacy woke up in the hospital wing. She saw Ron and Harry and Hermione, but not Sirius. Where was he? What had happened to him? Ron's leg wasn't any better, and Hermione had landed on a rock and cracked a few ribs. Legacy and Harry were uninjured. She heard the door open and whirled around, hoping for Sirius, but it was Dumbledore.

"Where is he? What have they done with Sirius?" She demanded.

"Sirius is being held in the Astronomy tower, where they plan to perform the Dementor's Kiss." Legacy felt all the air leave her lungs and she fell to her knees. She felt like she was going to be sick. "Legacy, are you not feeling well?" Dumbledore asked.

"No, sir, I am most definitely not feeling well." Legacy felt her strength return, powered by her anger. "The man I love is about to have his soul torn from his body. How do you think I feel?"

"There's got to be something we can do." Harry said.

"I'm afraid there's not enough time." Dumbledore said, giving Hermione a meaningful look.

"Sir, I can't do it; I'm injured."

"Can't do what?" Legacy asked.

"I'm sure Legacy would be delighted to go in your stead." He turned to Legacy. "I'm sure you've read about Time-Turners and the consequences." Legacy nodded. "Then you know the laws. You cannot be seen. Three turns should do it. Good luck." Dumbledore turned towards the door. "Oh, and I am locking this door at midnight." He left the room, and as the clock tolled midnight he locked the door. Legacy walked to Hermione, hand held out. Hermione removed something from around her neck and handed it to her. Legacy walked back to Harry and looped it around both of them.

"Be careful." Hermione cautioned, as Legacy turned the clock. Everything around them started spinning wildly then stopped. The sun was in the sky and the clock was tolling nine.

"Where were you at nine tonight?" Legacy demanded.

"We were at Hagrid's." Harry told her. She took off at a dead run towards the hut. On the way, Harry explained about Buckbeak. She saw the creature chained up to the fence and felt pity. They quickly hid, and Legacy pumped Harry for information.

"Something should be hitting me in the back of the head soon... yeah, there's Dumbledore and all them." Harry said. Legacy quickly chucked a rock at the back of Harry in the hut's head and ducked. As the three students in the hut left through the back door, Hagrid greeted the men at the front. When Dumbledore, Fudge, and the executioner were all inside, Legacy pushed Harry towards Buckbeak.

"We're supposed to save them both, Harry. And he knows you." Legacy explained quickly. "Now get moving!" Harry coaxed the hippogriff towards him, and they disappeared into the woods just before Dumbledore let the group out of the hut. Harry, Legacy and Buckbeak hid near the Whomping Willow, waiting for the rest of the evening to unfold. Legacy saw Sirius drag Ron into the hole, and then saw herself approach the tree, freeze it, and then go inside herself, followed by Harry and Hermione. Not long after was Lupin. "Lupin must have seen you four and Sirius down here, and then me. That's what made him come down." As she saw Snape, she growled. "And then he stupidly left the Map open, where Snape could read it when he came to drop off Lupin's potion."

"So... you and Sirius are... what?" Harry asked.

"I love him." Legacy replied, not looking away from the tree.

"What about him? What does he think?" Legacy shrugged.

"I know he cares about me, but I don't know if he loves me. Heads up, we've got movement." She stood and dusted herself off, then quickly did some stretches.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked her.

"You remember that wolf howl?" Legacy asked. "I'm pretty sure that no werewolves live in this forest, so that means that one of us did it. Which means, in about two minutes, we're going to have a pissed off werewolf running us down." Harry quickly stood and did a few stretches himself. "That's what I thought." She watched as the other Harry threw the rock, as Sirius jumped the werewolf, and as she saw her other self bearing down on the werewolf, she howled. The werewolf turned in their direction and Legacy pushed Harry. "Go! Run!" She shifted into the eagle, and was kind of using Harry as bait, and hoping the hippogriff would also help. Harry led the beast far enough for Legacy to be satisfied, and then she clawed its face. It swiped at her and knocked her to the ground and it advanced on her. Buckbeak chose that moment to charge the werewolf, and it turned tail and ran. Harry picked up the leading chain and Legacy flew into the air.

"We've got to get to the lake!" Harry told her. She led the way, Harry riding the hippogriff. When they got there she shifted back and drew her wand.

"Harry, we've got to cast the spell together. Come on!" Harry made it down to her, and together they cast the spell.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM!" _Together, silver eagle and stag drove the Dementors from Sirius and the other... them. Legacy waited until someone came to collect the others, then turned to Harry.

"You make your way towards the castle quietly, and I'll scout it out. I'll come find you once it's safe." Legacy didn't wait for Harry to acknowledge before she shifted again and flew towards the castle. She landed in the shadow of one of the towers close to the Astronomy tower. Sirius didn't struggle against his captors, and it broke her heart to see that. As soon as they left, she went down to Harry and screeched at him. He climbed onto Buckbeak and guided him towards the tower. Legacy landed and shifted, wand pointed at the door.

"_Bombarda!"_ She ran into the cell and saw Sirius shackled to the wall. She quickly unlocked them and gathered him into her arms.

"Legacy? Is that you?" Sirius asked.

"I told you nothing could keep me away from you." She smiled and helped him to his feet. He took one look at her and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close.

"I thought I was done for." Sirius whispered, shaking. "They told me they were going to perform the Kiss."

"You're going to be all right, Sirius." Legacy told him. "We're getting you out of here." She led him outside where Harry sat on Buckbeak. Sirius climbed on in front of Harry, and Legacy shifted again. She led them away from the castle, down to the far side of the lake and far away from prying eyes. She gave Harry and Sirius a few moments while she cleaned her feathers, and shifted back when she saw Harry walk away from Sirius.

"Thanks, Legacy." Harry said.

"No, thank you, Harry." Legacy hugged him. "I couldn't have done this on my own."

"I think he wants to talk to you." Legacy nodded and walked towards Sirius. He looked at her and smiled.

"And here I thought that the man was supposed to save the day." Legacy returned his smile.

"Well, not all men have a woman like me."

"Legacy, I don't know what to do now." Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "I thought I'd be a free man, but that plan's gone all to hell."

"Dumbledore believes you're innocent; he sent us to save you. If Dumbledore believes something, everyone will." She smiled at him, and he cleared his throat.

"I apologize for what happened on the tower. It wasn't appropriate, and I-" She silenced him with a kiss.

"I love you, Sirius Black." His eyes widened, and she laughed. "I didn't know if you heard me say it down at the lake, so I thought I'd tell you again just to be sure." He brought his mouth back to hers and held her tightly.

"I didn't think that you ever would. It's been driving me mad for ages, but I told myself that I was too old for you, that you needed to experience life. I love you too, Legacy."

"I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to feel that you owed it to me or something just because I helped you."

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." Sirius laughed. Legacy punched him lightly.

"Don't laugh at me." She said, and he only laughed harder.

"Thank you. I do feel that I owe you, but by now I think it's more than I can repay." Legacy held him close.

"Don't feel that way." She sighed. "I don't really want to let you go, but I need to."

"I know. I'll write you whenever I can." He promised. She kissed him one last time before he climbed onto the hippogriff and flew away.

"Harry, we have to hurry. We can't be caught outside that door after midnight." They ran back to the castle as fast as they could, and they made it to the door just as Dumbledore was closing it.

"Hurry, inside." He ushered them in and closed the door behind them. Ron was asleep, as they'd left him, but Hermione looked at them.

"Well?" She asked impatiently. Legacy smiled and danced around the room before handing Hermione her Time-Turner. The other girl giggled. "I guess it went well."

Fudge and Snape were outraged.

"Potter had something to do with this, I just know it! And Jones was in on it, she was all over Black!" Legacy heard Snape shouting.

"I locked the door to the hospital wing myself. Are you suggesting that I failed in that?" Dumbledore said.

"No, not at all, but-"

"If you are suggesting that they can be in two places at once, and risking sounding like a buffoon, I would suggest that you stop talking." Another voice said, and Harry confirmed that it was Fudge. Legacy could almost hear Snape's mouth snap shut. Legacy giggled as they walked away from the door. Ron had woken up, so Legacy cast a Muffliato and let Harry explain how they'd freed both Sirius and Buckbeak.

"But Pettigrew got away." Harry finished dejectedly.

"How did you end up with Sirius?" Hermione asked.

"What do you mean, 'with'?" Ron asked.

"They're dating. They're in love. Look at her, she's positively glowing." Hermione gestured at Legacy, who giggled.

"If nothing else, that right there convinced me. Legacy Jones does not _giggle_." Ron shook his head. "There's going to be a lot of unhappy boys when they hear that you're dating someone." Legacy shrugged.

"Let them be sad." Legacy proceeded to tell them everything, minus Sirius' revelation about her parentage.

Snape had 'accidentally' let slip at breakfast that Lupin was a werewolf, and Lupin was summarily sacked. Legacy knew that it was somehow tied into Sirius' escape, and felt guilty. But the guilt didn't survive long in the face of her overwhelming relief in knowing that Sirius was free. She walked up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom to see Lupin off. Harry was leaving just as she arrived, and they shared a smile. Harry waved a familiar piece of parchment at her, and her smile grew. She pushed open the door and found Lupin packing his belongings. His back was turned, so she coughed slightly so as to not startle him. She saw the scratches on his face and winced.

"Sorry about that." Legacy said, gesturing towards his face.

"I must say, they were well-deserved." Lupin chuckled dryly. "You saw Harry on your way in?"

"Yes, and he showed me the map." Legacy trailed her fingers along the desktop. "You're a good man, sir." He waved his hand.

"Please, Remus, or Lupin. I'm not your teacher anymore." Lupin paused in his packing to look at her. "How are you doing?" He asked, concern etched onto his features.

"He's safe. Somewhere the Dementors can't find him." Legacy leaned on the desk. "I admit, it's odd knowing I can't run down to the Shack every time I want to see him anymore, but his safety takes priority over my selfish wants." Lupin chuckled.

"So self-sacrificing. How noble." She glared at him, but then realized he was teasing.

"You were right, you know." She told him. "I do love him. I just didn't realize it until I thought he was gone. Until I thought that I'd never see him smile again, or hear his laughter..." Legacy shook her head. "I just wish Pettigrew hadn't gotten away."

"He'll turn up eventually. If nothing else can be said for him, he's a survivor." Legacy scoffed.

"But where? Somewhere we can find him easily, or standing next to Voldemort, nigh untouchable?"

"That sounded a tad bit like despair." Lupin commented.

"Well it wasn't. It was realism." Legacy sighed. "Thank you, Remus. It's nice to be able to talk to someone who knows him."

"You make it sound like he died."

"That's not going to happen. Not for a very long time." Legacy sighed. "I should let you pack. And sorry again about your face. Talons are the only thing I have to fight with." Legacy left the room. Later that day they had the end-of-year feast, and Gryffindor won the house cup for the third year running. On the train ride home, an owl had caught up to them and Ron let it in. There was a letter for Harry and a package for Legacy. Everyone was far more interested in her package than Harry's letter.

"Come on, open it up!" Fred demanded.

"We want to see it!" George added. Percy said nothing, but he was interested too. Legacy gave in to the pressure and tore it open.

To my Legacy,

I had wanted to give you something like this in person, but it just never happened.

I encourage you to wear it. This is what Muggles call a 'promise ring', something

that is given to a woman before an actual engagement. That one is happening in

person, I promise.

Forever yours.

Legacy knew that it was him, even though she'd never seen his writing before, and even given the lack of name. She opened the small box that was in the package and tears filled her eyes. Nestled into a small band of white gold was a sapphire stone. She slipped it onto the third finger of her left hand, and it fit perfectly. Ginny squealed with delight when she laid eyes on it.

"What the hell is that?" Fred asked, ogling the ring.

"It's what Muggles call a promise ring. It's given in promise of an engagement." Hermione explained. George took the note from Legacy's hand and skimmed it.

"He didn't write his name." George said, passing it around.

"Of course not. He knew it would be read by more than just my eyes, and he wants to remain a mystery." Legacy said dramatically.

"It's so romantic." Ginny sighed.

"Who is it?" Percy asked, reading the letter.

"I'm not spoiling the surprise! And besides, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Is it Cedric?" Fred asked, and Legacy scoffed.

"Please. He's a nice boy and all, but... no, not him."

The twins started trying to guess who it was, and Percy had excused himself. Legacy was a bit sad to see him leave, remembering what Ron had said, but then she would look at her ring and her heart felt fit to burst. Now, she had only to explain to Molly.


	8. Year seven, Part One

Molly was just as excited as Ginny had been upon seeing Legacy's ring.

"That's so romantic! Legacy dear, won't you please tell me who it is?" Molly had asked.

"I can't. You wouldn't believe me anyway!" Legacy had laughed, and it was much the same answer every time Molly asked before she finally gave up. Legacy was relieved. She'd been near to telling Molly, if only to get her to stop asking, but that would only have made things worse. She put Molly's incessant prodding out of her mind and instead focused her thoughts on the events of the summer. The first time she'd received a letter from Sirius had been entertaining, to say the least. Molly had shrieked, and they all ran down to see what the problem was. There was a toucan sitting on the window sill, and Molly was on the other side of the kitchen, brandishing a spatula.

"Why the hell is there a _toucan_ in my house?" Molly shouted. Legacy walked towards the bird and removed the letter attached to its leg before it flew away. She saw her name on the envelope and blushed.

"It's for me." She murmured.

"From your man?" Molly asked. "Why can't he use an owl just like everyone else?" After the first one, the others had been taken in stride. Sirius hadn't told her where he was, and it was no more than Legacy had expected. Also, the Quidditch World Cup was being held in Britain that year, and Arthur had acquired tickets through a friend at the Ministry. Arthur, Fred and George were going to pick up Harry in a few days' time, and Hermione's parents had already dropped her off at the Burrow. Charlie was back home from Romania, and she'd met Bill for the first time. Legacy, Ginny and Hermione were sharing a room, and it was quite surprising that any of them got to sleep at all. The three girls were very close, despite the age difference. The day after Arthur, Fred, and George returned with Harry, everyone but Molly filed out of the house. They met Cedric and his father not long after, who had the Portkey they were using. Everyone touched it and then they were off. They were all speeding forwards in a howl of wind and swirling colour, and then her feet slammed into the ground and someone bumped into her, Cedric caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Thanks." She smiled up at him, and he smiled in return.

"We didn't get to talk much last year." He said quietly.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I was a bit distracted. I'll make up for it this year, though." Arthur called her name. "I've got to go. I'll catch you later." She caught up with them, and they made their way to the campsite. After putting up the tents, Legacy helped collect firewood and helped Arthur make a fire. Bill, Charlie and Percy arrived near noon, and they all had lunch. Arthur jumped up and was waving at someone walking in their direction.

"The man of the moment! Ludo!" Ludovic Bagman had round blue eyes, short blonde hair and a rosy complexion.

"Arthur, old man! What a day! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? Not a cloud in the sky, and hardly a hiccough in the arrangements, not much for me to do!" Arthur began to make introductions.

"This is Percy, he's just started in the Ministry. This is Legacy Jones, this is Fred – no, George, sorry – _that's_ Fred – Bill, Charlie, Ron – my daughter, Ginny, and Ron's friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter." Ludo gave a quick glance at the scar on Harry's forehead before turning to Legacy.

"I'm glad I gave Arthur the tickets before I saw you, or else I might still owe him a favour!"

"You'll have to charm some other girl, I'm afraid." Legacy said, laughing. Ludo clutched his heart.

"Alas, too late again!" Legacy laughed again. "Is the fellow here? I'll have to congratulate him."

"No, he couldn't make it. He's abroad at the moment."

"He left such beauty undefended! For shame." The man was a shameless flirt, that was for sure. He turned to the others, calling for bets, and Legacy sat down on the grass. Ludo was making bets with the twins, much to Percy's annoyance. Then they started talking about work, and Legacy stopped paying attention. There was the distinctive _crack_ of Apparition that caught her attention, however, and she turned to see an older gentleman standing next to their fire. From Percy's near worship of the man, she gathered that this was his employer, Barty Crouch. He soon left with Ludo in tow, and she wandered the grounds, looking at the souvenirs. She purchased a pair of Omnioculars before running into Cedric.

"There you are!" He said, rushing over to her. "I was wondering if I'd bump into you again."

"Well, here I am." Legacy smiled.

"You enjoying yourself so far?"

"Yes. I met Ludo Bagman – the man is a shameless flirt. I also met Barty Crouch."

"He's an old stick-in-the-mud, isn't he?"

"Don't let Percy hear you say that, he idolizes the man."

"They're both stick-in-the-muds." Legacy laughed. "I missed you last year. It was odd, not having you there every time I turned round."

"I am sorry, Cedric."

"You said you were distracted?"

"I'm seeing someone." Legacy said quietly. Cedric's smile fell, but only for a moment.

"He's a lucky man. Do I know him? Is he here?"

"No, and no. He's abroad at the moment." Legacy looked up at him. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you happy with him?"

"Yes. Very much so."

"Then that's all that matters, right?" Cedric gave her a quick hug. "But if he ever hurts you, I'll kill him." Legacy laughed. Cedric looked over her shoulder. "Come on, let's get you back to the Weasleys. I see Mr Weasley over there."

Seated in the Top Box, Legacy waited eagerly for the match to be underway. Ludo was soon announcing the Bulgarian mascots, and Legacy leaned forward in her seat. It was a large group of what appeared to be women, but they couldn't be. Their skin shone like the moon, and they had white-gold hair that fanned behind them. Legacy also noticed that every person of the male persuasion was paying no attention to anything but these creatures. Harry and Ron looked as though they were about to dive out of the box. As the group turned away, Legacy turned to Hermione.

"What the hell were those supposed to be?"

"Veela. Similar to Sirens from Greek mythology." Legacy merely shook her head as Ludo introduced the Irish mascots, which turned out to be leprechauns and dropped gold all over the stadium. Then the game began. In the end, Ireland won by a mere ten points after Bulgaria caught the Snitch. Fred and George collected their winnings from Ludo, and they all made their way back to the tents and their beds. Legacy awoke some time later and knew that something was wrong. Instead of the sounds of celebration, there was screaming outside. She quickly woke Ginny and Hermione before pulling on a jacket and stepping outside. She saw a crowd of wizards with their wands pointed skywards advancing across the field. They were wearing dark cloaks and their faces were masked. High above them, floating in mid-air, four struggling figures were being contorted into grotesque shapes, and two of the figures were very small. There was a noise behind her, and she saw the boys all coming out of their tents. Bill, Charlie, Percy and Arthur were dressed and had their wands out.

"We're going to help the Ministry. You lot – get in the woods and _stick together._ I'll come get you once this is sorted out."

"I'm coming with you." Legacy informed him.

"No you are not, Legacy. You're not even graduated yet-"

"I am an adult, and the more wands on the Ministry's side the better." Arthur scowled but said nothing. The other three were already running, and Legacy soon caught up.

"I wondered if Dad was going to let you come along." Bill said. "It's good that he did. We need all the help we can get." Legacy looked up at the four figures.

"Who are these people? Why are they doing this?" She asked.

"They're dressed up like Death Eaters." Arthur said as he caught up to them. "That's all the explanations I need." Legacy felt a chill of fear settle in her stomach. Pushing it down, she walked towards the group. "Where are you going?" Arthur asked, but she didn't respond.

"Hey! Leave them alone!" Legacy shouted. "Pick on someone who can actually fight back!" One of them cast a spell in her direction and she easily blocked it. "That's all you've got? No wonder you pick on Muggles! You scared of a real fight?" Three people broke off from the group and headed in her direction. Legacy smiled as she raised her wand. She quickly had the three of them down, and continued walking. "Come on! Fight me!" She randomly cast spells into the midst of the group, hoping that the Muggles didn't fall. Spells were cast in her direction but they landed far on either side.

"Are you crazy?" Bill asked. She saw him out of the corner of her eye.

"Maybe a little bit." Suddenly the group began to fall apart, and the Muggles dropped. She slowed their fall as much as she could and ran towards them. "Cowards!" She shouted at the fleeing figures. Bill had helped to slow their fall as well, for which she was glad. She wouldn't have been able to save all four of them on her own. Percy and Charlie were there too, but Arthur was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Dad?" Legacy asked, and Percy pointed mutely. She followed his finger and saw something in the sky. It was a colossal skull, composed of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue. There were more screams, louder than before. "What is that?" Legacy asked, not sure she wanted the answer.

"That's the Dark Mark. You-Know-Who's sign." Bill told her, and Legacy shuddered.

"He's over there, then?"

"I think so. He Apparated away, and that's the only place that makes sense." Charlie said. "You called him Dad."

"Did I? I'm sorry."

"I don't mind. I don't think he would, either." Charlie looked at Bill and Percy, and neither of them voiced any complaints. "See? We don't mind." Legacy nodded.

"Let's take care of these people, then head back to the tent. That's where everyone's going to go." There wasn't much she could do for the Muggles, but she healed their physical wounds before someone tried to relieve her. "I'm not leaving until I see some sort of official identification." Legacy informed the man, and he stormed off.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Percy said, and Legacy scowled.

"You saw what happened to these people. I'm not going to let something like that happen again." The other three left. Eventually, Barty Crouch came to see her.

"I appreciate what you've done for these people, and what you've continued to do. I hope that you will allow me to take custody of them."

"Yes, sir, that will be acceptable."

"With the events of tonight, your concern is understandable. You have my thanks for your help. If I may ask, what is your name?"

"I'm Legacy Jones, sir." She offered her hand, and he shook it.

"I saw you with Arthur before the Cup match. You're still in school?"

"This is my last year, sir." Crouch nodded.

"What kind of employment are you thinking about?"

"I plan on becoming an Auror, sir."

"An admirable career. If there is any assistance you need in the future, I will be happy to help." Legacy nodded before going back to their campsite. She was the last one to arrive, and nearly everyone was in bed. Arthur was still up, waiting for her.

"Legacy, where were you?"

"I was with the Robertses, making sure they were taken into proper custody. Mr Crouch was the only one with any kind of identification, so I turned them over to him." Legacy nodded towards the tents. "Is everyone alright?" Arthur summarized the events of the evening that she'd missed.

"They're all gone to bed now, and I was waiting for you."

"Thanks. I was wondering something, though." Arthur gestured for her to continue. "Just after the Dark Mark was conjured, I asked where you were. I called you Dad by accident. Charlie told me." Arthur drew his breath. "He said you wouldn't mind, but… can I call you Dad?" Arthur's eyes filled with tears, and he pulled her into his arms for a hug.

"That's fine with me. More than fine. And I'm sure Molly wouldn't mind if you started calling her Mum."

"Thank you. You've all done so much for me, and there's next to nothing that I can do for you." Legacy had tears in her eyes as well.

"It's been our pleasure to welcome you into our home. And you helped save Ginny. Without you and Harry, we'd never have seen her again." Arthur released her. "I think it's time we got some sleep."

"I'm not tired. I think I'll sit up a bit longer." Arthur nodded and slipped back into the tent, and Legacy sat down on the grass. She was feeling cold, so she started a small fire. Some of the others' tents had been destroyed in the riot, and she invited people so sit with her. She soon had over a dozen people surrounding her fire. Silence pervaded the camp, and it unsettled her.

"Do you have any children?" Legacy asked the witch beside her.

"Yes, but they're all grown up now, moved out. Why?"

"It's too quiet, that's all. I'm trying to break the silence." The witch nodded.

"What about you?" She asked, nodding towards Legacy's ring.

"Not yet. I'm still in school. This is what Muggles call a promise ring, given in promise of an engagement."

"A Muggle boy while you're still in school?"

"No, just a very sweet pure-blood boy." The woman smiled and began to regale her with stories of her own courtship. With their example, the other witches and wizards began to talk quietly amongst each other, and there was quiet laughter. When she saw Crouch walk by, she called out to him. "Sir, would you like to sit down a moment? You look as though you need it."

"Perhaps just a moment." He said, and Legacy conjured up a chair. "Thank you." He said as he seated himself. The witch turned to speak to the woman next to her, and Legacy spoke to Crouch.

"So what's going on?"

"We're sorting out what happened. We've not found anyone who was a part of the riot yet, but I'm hoping that we might." He looked around at the people she'd gathered. "What's all this?"

"Some tents were destroyed in the riot, and these people were wandering around, so I asked if they'd like to sit down a while. I struck up a conversation with this lady beside me, and not long after everyone was talking. It seemed like a good way to calm everyone down."

"That was very thoughtful of you." Crouch noted, and Legacy shrugged.

"You're out there doing the real work. I'm just trying to do what I can."

"You'll be a good addition to the Ministry. Arthur told me that you were baiting the Death Eaters. You're a brave young woman."

"Or a very stupid one." Legacy laughed.

"Humility is an admirable trait, and not one that is common. Bravery is found quite often, but usually in extremes. A desire to put others before one's self is another admirable trait… all of which you have displayed here tonight." Crouch was studying her, and Legacy blushed.

"Anyone else would have done the same." Crouch shook his head.

"I don't think they would have. You don't understand the fear this riot incited in some of us older folk, the ones who grew up with this. We were very lucky to have you here. I think that you will make an excellent addition to the Ministry." Arthur poked his head out of his tent.

"I'm surprised you're still up. Good morning, Barty. Have you been up all night too?"

"Yes. Miss Jones and I were having a chat about her actions here tonight." Crouch looked at his watch. "I do apologize, but I must be off."

"Molly's going to be worried sick. I was just about to go wake the girls."

"I'll do that." Legacy stood and brushed herself off. "It was very nice speaking with you, Mr Crouch. And it's Legacy." She heard more noise behind her and assumed it was the other boys climbing out of the tent.

"I'm glad we had this opportunity… Legacy. And please, call me Barty." He stood and walked away. Percy walked over to her, jaw dropped.

"What did you do?" He asked. "I can't even get him to remember my name, and I've worked with him for a while?"

"I honestly have no idea. You were there with me anyway, you saw what I did." Legacy walked into the other tent to wake Ginny and Hermione and to get dressed. Finished, she stepped outside and they all caught a Portkey back. Molly had been waiting for them in the yard and ran towards them when she saw them. She hugged them all tightly, glad to see that they were all safe. Molly had run to Diagon Alley to purchase their school things, seeing as their school letters had come in, and there was quite a surprise waiting there for Legacy.

"Legacy, there was something in your school letter that you should see." Molly said, pointing to where it lay. She opened it and sat down.

"There's got to be some kind of mistake." Legacy said.

"Why? What's in there?" Fred asked.

"It can't be that bad." George said.

"Oh yes it can." Legacy turned the envelope and a badge fell out onto her palm, and she held it up for all to see. "They made me Head Girl."

"Seriously? I think somebody Confunded Dumbledore." Fred teased her.

"I'm inclined to agree." Legacy said.

"Why would you think that?" Molly asked.

"Because I don't deserve this." Legacy said quietly.

"Oh, you'll do fine." The others came down the stairs just then and saw the badge in her hand.

"That's wonderful, Legacy!" Percy exclaimed.

"Sure it is. Let's pretend that this was what I wanted, shall we?"

"Don't be so sour. Go look at your dress robes; that should cheer you up." Legacy dropped the badge on the table before heading up the stairs. Ron's door was open and she caught a glimpse of his dress robes.

"Don't worry, there's a robes shop in Hogsmeade. If we need these things, I'm sure they'll have some there." Ron looked slightly happier at these prospects. Legacy continued down the hall, and Ginny and Hermione were there already.

"Let's see yours!" Ginny squealed. "Hermione's and mine are so pretty!"

"Considering my taste in clothing, it's likely that I'll have to stop in at Hogsmeade to either get alterations or a whole new dress." Legacy opened the parcel on the bed. "Or maybe not."

"You're the oldest, and it was the only one like it in the store." Molly said from the door. "It requires a corset, it's in there. I'll show the girls how to tie it properly so they can help you later." After Molly had shown the girls and Legacy had been able to slip out of the corset, she hugged Molly.

"Thank you… Mum." Legacy heard the other woman sigh, and Molly hugged her tighter.

"I never thought I'd hear you say that." They both had tears in their eyes when they parted.

Legacy sat beside the Head Boy, some Slytherin she'd never spoken to before. They were supposed to be telling the Prefects what to do, but she was slightly at a loss for words.

"Ok then." She looked at the others. Merlin, had she really looked that young once? "I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I was a perfect Prefect, because I wasn't. I tried to be fair, and I sometimes let my friends get away with things that I shouldn't have." The Head Boy nudged her, but she ignored him. "To be completely honest, I don't know why I'm sitting here. But I am, and that means I've got a job to do. And so do all of you. I'm not going to be a hard-ass and tell you that you need to wield an iron cudgel or anything, because that's just wrong and a total abuse of power. What I am going to tell you is to try to avoid people you don't like, because you'll be tempted to take points away just because you can. Try to emulate the teachers. They're relatively fair when it comes to punishments and rewards, and they even try to avoid favouring their own houses. Just try to be fair, that's all I can expect from you." She and the others set up a patrol schedule for the first month of school, and she handed it out. "If you lose yours, come to me. I expect each of you to come and find me on your own to get the next month's schedule, because I'm not about to go track you down. If there's an emergency of some kind, try to swap with another Prefect before you come to me." She sent them all away and stood.

"You shouldn't have said that." The boy said, and she turned to face him.

"Well I didn't see you stepping up to the plate, Mr…"

"Peregrine Derrick."

"Thank you. Why the hell didn't you say something then?"

"I was going to-"

"Don't bullshit me. We were sitting there for fifteen minutes in complete silence, you could have spoken up any time."

"You still shouldn't have said that."

"Do you _want_ to have a bunch of arrogant little shits running around the school and taking house points because someone looked at them funny?" Derrick didn't say anything, and Legacy smiled. "That's what I thought. Now how about you let me run the show so you don't mess it up, and this can just be another little thing on a résumé for you to show off at the Ministry."

"It's not like that."

"From over here, that's exactly what it looks like. Just stay the hell out of my way and we'll do fine. If one of the little shits comes to you, send them to me. Okay?"

"And who are you?"

"Legacy Jones. We clear?" Derrick nodded, and Legacy sighed.

"Sorry if I seem bitchy. I'm just waiting on an owl, and I'm not impressed by the amount of time it's taking. Come talk to me in like, a week." She left the car and did the patrols herself, too anxious to sit still. She'd not heard from Sirius in a while, and she knew that if he'd been caught it would be all over the front page, but she still worried. It was pouring by the time the train reached Hogwarts, and she helped herd the first years. "They don't seem to like you very much." Legacy teased Hagrid.

"I don't know why, none of the others ever were." He seemed saddened by this, and Legacy put a hand on his arm.

"Would you like me to come along?"

"You don't need to be doing that-"

"But I want to. Would that be all right?" Hagrid nodded, and she smiled at the first years. "Come on now, follow us." They made their way down to the boats and she urged them in. Legacy climbed into one before Hagrid sent them off. The boats were filling with water and she was going to mention it, but they emptied themselves. One of the boys in her boat was tossed into the water, and she cursed. "Merlin's fucking beard." She couldn't see him and drew her wand. Before she could do anything, the boy was tossed back into the boat. Legacy saw a tentacle before she turned to the boy.

"That was awesome!" He exclaimed, and she smiled.

"You're not hurt, then?" He coughed, shaking his head, and Legacy relaxed. Once they reached the other side, Hagrid draped his moleskin coat over the boy, which buried him. Legacy snickered before taking up the end of the line. She looked around, remembering her first passage through this tunnel. It felt like it had been so long ago. Soon enough, Hagrid was pounding on the door, and McGonagall answered it.

"Follow me, children… Jones? What are you doing here?"

"They were scared, so I decided to tag along. The one wearing Hagrid's coat was swept overboard, but the squid put him back in the boat."

"Thank you, Jones. You can proceed to the Great Hall."

After the Sorting and dinner, Dumbledore stood to make some announcements.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the inter-house Quidditch Cup will not take place this year." There were furious whispers at this announcement, and Dumbledore waited for them to subside before continuing. "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts-" But at that moment there was a deafening rumble of thunder, and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning on a staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled towards the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a mane of grizzled, dark grey hair, then began to walk up towards the teachers' table. A dull _clunk_ echoed through the hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right and limped heavily towards Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening. One of them was small, dark and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was moving up, down and from side to side, quite independently of the other eye – and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness. The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, then gestured to the empty seat on his right-hand side. "May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody." He and Hagrid were the only ones to clap. Dumbledore cleared his throat before continuing. "As I was saying, we are to have the honour of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year." He watched the students, waiting for their reaction. "The Heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Hallowe'en. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money. Eager though I know you all will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, the Heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age – seventeen years or older – will be allowed to put their names forward for contemplation. This is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the Tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." Dumbledore sent them all off to bed, and Legacy pretended not to hear what Fred and George were plotting. Instead of going upstairs, Legacy slipped outside. It was still raining, but it had dropped off slightly. She wandered the grounds and found herself near the Whomping Willow. Looking up at it, she felt tears fill her eyes. She knew Sirius wasn't here, so she wasn't even sure why she'd walked over there. As she drew closer the tree began to move, so she stepped back.

"I miss you." Legacy whispered. She thought about slipping down the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack, but she'd likely only get covered in mud.

"Who's that standing over there? Speak up!" Legacy didn't recognize the voice and turned around. It was Moody.

"Legacy Jones. I'm the Head Girl." Moody walked up beside her.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I'm reminiscing." She turned back to the tree.

"You're awful young for that."

"I fell in love here. But he's gone now."

"I'm not good with this girly stuff."

"I didn't expect you to be. I just miss him, that's all." Legacy sighed. "I'm heading back up now."

"That his ring you're wearing?" Moody asked abruptly.

"No beating around the bush?" Legacy laughed. "It's a promise ring, given in promise of engagement."

"Isn't that a Muggle thing? Where'd you meet one of them?"

"He's a pure-blood. A sweet, sentimental pure-blood."

"There aren't many of them your age, lass."

"Who said he was my age?" Legacy said, smiling.

"Only single pure-blood men I can think of off-hand that aren't your age is Sirius Black." Legacy laughed. "If that's not who it is, then what's his name?"

"I've only just met you, and you expect me to tell you everything about me?" Legacy scoffed.

"Just like your mother." Moody grumbled, and Legacy froze.

"What are you talking about?"

"Night, lass." Moody limped back to the castle, leaving a very worried Legacy in his wake.

She tried to put her conversation with Moody out of her mind, but it seemed like he was always watching her, expecting her to snap or something. She dreaded her first class with him. No one would tell her anything about his classes, only that they were 'so cool'. So when her class rolled around, she expected the worst. She sat in the middle of the room. Sitting in the back would have shown fear, and the front might have been overly bold. He thumped down the stairs, a jar in his hand.

"Any of you lot heard about Unforgivable Curses?" Moody asked, looking around the room.

"_Imperio. Crucio. Avada Kedavra." _ Legacy whispered, and Moody pointed at her.

"I don't know if the others heard you, lass." She hadn't even realized that he'd heard her. She repeated herself louder.

"_Imperio. _Control. _Crucio._ Torture._ Avada Kedavra._ Death._" _

"Apt description. Those three curses are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them is worth a life sentence in Azkaban." He put the jar on the table and opened it before reaching in and removing a large spider. _"Imperio."_ The spider began to dance and cartwheel over the tabletop, and Legacy was the only one who didn't laugh. "You think that's funny, do you?" Moody snapped, looking around the room. "It would be funny if I did this to you?" The laughter cut off abruptly. The spider stopped dancing, and Moody looked at the students. "The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better to avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" He turned his attention back to the spider and raised his wand. _"Crucio." _The spider twitched, curling its legs up. It began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. Legacy forced herself to watch, though she felt as though she was going to be sick. He finally stopped and turned back to them. "You don't need knives or nothing if you know that one." Turning to the spider one last time, he spoke again. _"Avada Kedavra." _There was a flash of blinding green light and the spider rolled over onto its back; unmarked, but unmistakably dead. "Not nice. Not pleasant. And there's no counter-curse. No blocking it. Only one person has ever survived it." They took notes for the rest of the class, and when the bell rang Legacy was the first out the door. She thought she heard Moody calling after her but she didn't turn back. She headed to the nearest girl's toilets and was sick. Thinking of the spider twitching merely made her retch again. Her mother had performed that curse on two people, and listened to them scream for hours. Legacy didn't know how long it would take to torture someone to insanity, and she most certainly didn't want to find out. She retched again before she felt it was safe to leave. She rinsed her mouth before heading to her next class.

After that class, Legacy avoided Moody however possible. If she saw him in the hall she'd turn the other way, she ate her meals at odd times of day and even skipped a few of them. But she couldn't avoid his classes. She was not impressed when Moody told them he planned on performing the Imperius Curse on all of them.

"I've performed it on every class fourth year and higher, and I've only had a handful of students fight it off. Let's see if you lot are any better." She watched as her classmates made complete and utter fools of themselves before it was her turn. "You're next, lass." Legacy walked into the middle of the room and Moody pointed his wand at her. _"Imperio."_ It was the most wonderful feeling. Legacy felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in her head was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. She stood there feeling immensely relaxed, only dimly aware of everyone watching her. Then she heard Moody's voice, echoing in some distant chamber of her empty brain: _Let's see you tap dance._ What the hell should I do that for? Another voice said from another part of her brain. Seriously, that's a stupid thing to do. _Dance._ I don't think I will, the other voice said. I don't want to. _I told you to dance!_

"NO!" Legacy and the other voice shouted at the same time. Legacy felt the empty, echoing feeling in her head disappear. Moody was laughing.

"That's the best response yet!" He cackled. "You see that? She fought it! Lass fought it off completely! I've had to go through it a couple times with everyone else." Legacy didn't like the way Moody was eyeing her, and she stepped back to pick up her things. The bell rang and Legacy bolted for the door. "Not so fast, lass. I'll have a word with you." Legacy groaned inwardly before turning back around. Once the room emptied Moody closed the door. "Office." He grunted, and Legacy hurried towards the stairs. She was seated before he'd limped his way to the top, and it took him a minute to get settled in his chair.

"What do you want?" Legacy asked curtly.

"That's quite a temper you got there lass." Moody chuckled. "You didn't hear me after the last class, calling you back?"

"No, I'm sorry. I needed to use the toilet."

"I know it's not a pretty thing, seeing what your mother did-"

"What makes you think you know who my mother is?"

"But life's not pretty." He continued as if she'd not said anything. "I know you're not proud of it."

"What makes you think you know who my mother is?" She spat. "You hear me that time?"

"You're in seventh year. You'll have a career chosen by now."

"What of it?"

"I'm curious, lass."

"I'll answer you if you answer me."

"I hunted her down. I brought her in for her trial. You're much like her."

"Don't compare me to her. She's not even human anymore."

"I can see why you'd think that. I've thought that myself for a long time. I was curious to see if you were anything like her."

"All you had to do was ask someone. Anyone could tell you that I'm nothing like her."

"How many people know she's your mother?"

"Three now, including you."

"That'd be you, Dumbledore, and her?"

"Four, if someone counts her. Five, if my father knows."

"You know who he is?"

"It's unlikely that Rodolphus is my father. Their marriage was cold."

"And how do you know that?"

"By asking the right people."

"Like Black."

"Why do you keep mentioning him?" Legacy asked.

"Why don't you deny it?" Legacy's mouth snapped shut.

"I don't like lying." She finally murmured.

"So he knows about her."

"He guessed it after we'd known each other for about twenty minutes."

"How'd he escape?"

"I never asked. I thought it might be in poor taste. But he's innocent. A guilty man doesn't stay sane in Azkaban for twelve years."

"What makes you say that?"

"The Dementors were here last year. A top-security cell like Sirius' would have had Dementors standing outside all day, every day."

"You didn't answer my earlier question."

"About my career? I want to be an Auror." Moody threw his head back and laughed.

"That's a good one. Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter, an Auror."

"It's not a joke. I was interested in the field before I found out about her. And please don't refer to me as her daughter."

"All right, lass. You study any other types of magic?"

"I'm a talented Occlumens." She didn't want to tell anyone about being an Animagus just yet. "Snape taught me in my fourth year."

"That's impressive. Probably helped you here today."

"Not much beyond that. I can summon a full-bodied Patronus in the presence of Dementors."

"Not bad. How were your OWLs?"

"Outstanding in all but Herbology, where I got an Exceeds Expectations. I hate Herbology."

"You're a smart lass. You really want to be an Auror when there's so many other things you could do?"

"It's the challenge that draws me to it. I know that not many people are accepted, and that makes me want to do it." Moody nodded.

"There's nothing else I wanted to know, lass. You should get going to dinner." Legacy nodded, and he retrieved his flask and took a swig from it as she left.

The students from the other schools were arriving on the thirtieth of October. The entire school filed out the front doors, and Legacy was with Derrick and the teachers. The Beauxbatons students arrived in a large, powder-blue carriage drawn by winged palominos. Their headmistress, Madame Maxime, stood nearly as tall as Hagrid did. Dumbledore greeted her, and she led her students into the castle. Not long afterwards a large, skeletal ship rose out of the lake, bearing the Durmstrang students. It turned out that Viktor Krum was amongst these students. Once everyone was settled in the Great Hall, Dumbledore began to speak.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and – most particularly – guests. I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable. The Tournament will officially be opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you to all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!" During the meal, Legacy saw Ludo and Crouch sneak in a side door to sit at the teachers' table. After dinner, Dumbledore stood again. "The moment has come. The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket, just to clarify the procedure which we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce Mr Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of Magical Co-operation and Mr Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. These two men have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament, and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime on the panel which will judge the champions' efforts." Dumbledore made a slight gesture, and Filch walked towards him bearing a wooden chest encrusted with jewels. "The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr Crouch and Mr Bagman, and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways. As you know, three champions compete in the Tournament; one from each of the participating schools. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector… the Goblet of Fire." Dumbledore waved his wand and the casket opened, revealing a large, roughly hewn wooden cup, full to the brim with dancing, blue-white flames. "Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment, and drop in into the Goblet. The Goblet will be placed in the Entrance Hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to enter. To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation, I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the Entrance Hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line. Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this Tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected he or she is obliged to see the Tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the Goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become champion." Dumbledore sent them all off to bed, and Legacy wandered outside again. She found herself at the Whomping Willow again and chuckled to herself.

"I'm either a hopeless romantic or a glutton for punishment." Legacy froze the tree and sat at the base, looking up at the sky. She felt like flying, but there was a few too many people around to risk it yet.

"I am sorry, I did not vish to disturb. I did not realize that somevun vas here." Legacy looked over and saw Krum.

"It's fine. I'm just thinking anyway. You're welcome to sit down, if you wish." He came and sat down on the grass nearby. "For future reference, however, this tree's a Whomping Willow." At his confused look, she continued. "It normally beats up anything that comes near it, but I've frozen it."

"This is a dangerous tree. Vy vould you come to sit here then?"

"I spent a lot of time here last year with someone very special to me."

"Vat did you come to think about?"

"I'm considering joining the Tournament, but he's not here to talk it over with, and there's no time to send him an owl to get his opinion."

"You need his permission?"

"No, I simply wanted to know what he thought about it." She looked over at him. "I'm Legacy, by the way. Legacy Jones." She extended her hand and he shook it.

"Viktor Krum. Though I suspect you already knew that."

"I was at the World Cup this summer." Krum shook his head.

"Vat happened to those people is unforgivable."

"I thought Durmstrang was all about pure-bloods?"

"That does not mean we all accept it."

"That's good to hear."

"Vat do you think your man would say about joining the Tournament?" Krum asked her.

"I think he'd encourage it. He'd tell me to have fun, to live a little, to do something."

"Then vy you hesitate?"

"Because he might say that it's far too dangerous, and that I could get hurt."

"But you said you do not need his permission."

"I don't need it."

"Is it something you vant to do?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Then vy you hesitate?"

"You make it all sound so simple."

"It is simple. You put your name in, you become champion, you complete tasks. Simple. Or, you put your name in, you don't become champion, you cheer for your champion. Simple. They are both simple." Legacy smiled at him.

"Thank you. I think this really helped to clear my head."

"Thank you for not fawning all over me like the others. Is nice to remember that I am still human under the Quidditch robes."

"No problem." Legacy stood, and Krum followed suit.

"Good luck." He turned and walked back to their ship, and Legacy headed back to the castle. She borrowed a slip of parchment and a quill from someone and wrote on it. _Legacy Jones – Hogwarts._ She stepped across the Age Line and dropped her name into the Goblet before heading upstairs to go to bed.

At the feast the next evening, there were a lot of impatient students. Everywhere she looked people were craning their necks at Dumbledore, waiting for him to finish his food. Legacy hadn't touched hers; she was too nervous. At long last the plates returned to their spotless state, and Dumbledore stood.

"When the champions' names are called, I would ask them to please come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber, where they will receive their first instructions." The flames inside the Goblet turned red, and sparks flew from it. A moment later, a tongue of flame rose out of it, bearing aloft a charred piece of parchment, and Dumbledore reached up to catch it. "The champion for Durmstrang is Viktor Krum!" Legacy was happy for him, he wasn't a bad guy. A storm of cheers and applause swept the Hall as he walked towards Dumbledore then past him into the other chamber. Everyone's attention quickly returned to the Goblet, and it didn't make them wait long. Its fire flashed red and another parchment fluttered out. "The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!" A girl with silvery-blonde hair rose and followed Krum amidst applause of her own. Legacy could feel her heart pounding in her chest as silence fell over the Hall once more. Their own champion, the Hogwarts champion, was next. The flames turned red and the Goblet launched the parchment into the air. "The Hogwarts champion," Dumbledore paused for effect, "is _Legacy Jones!_" Legacy froze, unsure at first, but rose when Fred and George pushed her to her feet. She could hear the applause and cheers of her schoolmates, but part of her didn't believe it. She didn't realize that she was moving, but suddenly she was beside Dumbledore, and he reached out to shake her hand and give her a nudge towards the door. She nodded mutely, continuing on. Legacy finally reached the door and slipped inside the chamber. Krum was leaning against the mantel piece and Fleur stood a little off to the side. They turned when she entered, and Krum smiled.

"See? Simple."

"I think I'm dreaming. I'm going to wake up in my bed upstairs, and this is all going to turn out to have just been a dream." Legacy sat in one of the chairs around the room. Harry entered the room not long after her, followed by Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Snape, McGonagall, and Madame Maxime. Harry had been chosen by the Goblet to compete as well, and the other Heads were not impressed. However, there was nothing to be done for it; Harry had been entered into a magical contract and could not back out. After that was settled, Crouch gave them their instructions.

"The first task is designed to test your daring, so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard. The first task will take place on November the twenty-fourth, in front of the other students and the panel of judges. The students are not allowed to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the Tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed with only their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the Tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year-tests." The other two champions were led away by their respective Heads before being followed out by the others. Harry and Legacy were the only ones left in the room.

"Please tell me you believe me." Harry asked, whirling on her.

"Of course I believe you. Don't take this the wrong way, but every single life-threatening scrape you've been in you've never completed alone. I don't think you would be stupid enough to do this."

"Do you think Moody's on to something?" Harry asked. "We both know that there is someone who wants me dead."

"I don't think everyone's thought that far, and that makes me fearful. If Voldemort's gotten enough clout to get your name in here, that means someone in this building is under his thumb." Harry didn't appear to have thought that far ahead. "I'll go up to the common room first. Go hide in a secret passage or something and wait for things to die down some before coming around."

"What if someone asks where I am?"

"Then I'll honestly tell them that I don't know."

"Thanks, Legacy." She smiled and squeezed his shoulder before leaving the room. She headed up to the tower, planning her speech along the way. She walked through the door and there was a full-blown party inside. She was asked over and over where Harry was, and if she knew how he'd gotten his name in. After about thirty minutes of this she climbed up onto a chair and called for attention.

"Thank you all for your pride in your house." There were cheers and whistles, and she waited for them to die down before continuing. "Harry did not enter his name into the Goblet, and he didn't persuade someone else to do it for him. Moody thinks that someone cast a very powerful Confundus Charm on it to make it forget that only three schools were competing, and I can't think of any student capable of that kind of magic. If I hear a single person asking about how he got his name in I will retract points from the house. If someone is harassing him about it, they will also receive a detention. I hope that I've made myself clear." She climbed off the chair before heading up to bed.

Legacy sent an owl to Sirius the next day, telling him what had happened. She thought that Harry might as well, but she didn't know how much he was going to share. The Wand-Weighing Ceremony was the next day, and Harry was cornered by Rita Skeeter, a horrible journalist for the _Daily Prophet_. Legacy quickly rescued him, but not fast enough; the woman was able to write an inflammatory article with the information she'd gleaned from him. Legacy was disgusted by it. She was just leaving Defense Against the Dark Arts the day before the first task when Harry walked towards her.

"The first task is dragons." Harry said, and Legacy pulled him around a corner.

"Are you sure? How did you find out?"

"I've seen them, Charlie's down there with them. There's four, one for each of us."

"Thank you. I'll make this up to you, I promise." Legacy gave him a quick hug before walking down the hall. She had an idea that she was sure would work, but she needed to ask someone…. She hurried down to the Transfiguration classroom, and McGonagall was sitting at her desk. Legacy shut the door behind her before crossing the room, casting a Muffliato Charm along the way.

"Jones? To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Professor, I'm about to tell you something, and you have to promise not to freak out."

"I'm listening."

"I'm an Animagus. Have been since fourth year."

"Jones, I don't have time for-" Legacy shifted and hopped up onto the back of the chair. "What do you need?" Legacy shifted back.

"I need you to not tell anyone, for starters, that would be awesome. And secondly, is it possible to just wave my wand around and pretend I'm turning myself into an eagle but actually just shift?"

"Yes, it's very possible. And I will not tell anyone what we've discussed here today, you have my word."

"Thank you." Legacy hurried back up to the Gryffindor tower, pleased that her plan was going to work.

The next morning Legacy was up bright and early, unable to fall back asleep. She went down to the Great Hall and found that she couldn't eat, either. So she sat at the table and waited to be collected for the first task. Harry came down and sat beside her.

"You have a plan?" Legacy murmured.

"Yeah. And you?"

"Yup. Good luck out there, Harry." McGonagall came over not long after to take them outside. The three of them walked past Hagrid's hut nearly into the Forbidden Forest, but stopped at a tent just outside.

"The other champions are in here." McGonagall looked at them both before speaking again. "I am so very proud of both of you. Good luck." She walked away and Harry held the tent flap aside so Legacy could enter. Ludo was inside and was pleased to see them.

"Good! Now that we're all here – time to fill you in! Once the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering each of you this bag from which you will select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different varieties, you see. And your objective is to _collect the golden egg_!" Legacy nodded, but she didn't see how the others responded. A short while later Ludo determined that the audience was indeed seated and walked back to them.

"Now, which lady would like to go first?" Fleur stepped up before Legacy could and reached into the offered bag, drawing out a dragon with the number 'two' round its neck. "The Welsh Green." Ludo informed her before turning to Legacy. She reached in and drew out a miniature dragon with the number 'one'. "Swedish Short-Snout." Ludo informed her before turning to Krum, who drew 'three'. "Chinese Fireball." Harry took number 'four'. "Hungarian Horntail." He tucked the bag into his pocket and smiled at each of them. "There you are! You have each selected the dragon you will face, and the number tells us what order you're going in. Miss Jones, you're first, just step outside when you hear the whistle, yes? I must be off, I'm commentating. Good luck!" Legacy felt confident and nervous at the same time. When the whistle blew she stepped out through the flap that she'd not come in through. She walked past a few trees and then she was in the enclosure. On the far side sat the Swedish Short-Snout, its silvery-blue scales gleaming in the light, crouched over the pile of eggs. Legacy took a deep breath before casting a spell. The rocks on the ground began to hop and dance around, none of them in time with one another. She quickly began to wave her wand again, following McGonagall's advice, before shifting into the eagle. She could hear voices around her, but she didn't care what they were saying. Legacy's vision zoomed in on the golden egg, then she looked back at the dragon. She flew towards the dragon, trying to draw it away from the eggs. It had worked better than she'd anticipated and now the dragon was flying after her. Legacy flew straight up into the air and saw the dragon following her. When she felt she'd gone far enough she made a nosedive for the egg pile. The dragon hadn't seen where she'd gone at first, but now it was gaining on her. Legacy grasped the golden egg in her talons and flew in another direction, hoping that the dragon would still give chase and not harm the eggs. It did follow her, much better than she'd expected. Legacy saw the silver-blue flames too late and was unable to avoid them. She felt pain erupt on her left side and tipped dangerously to that side. She continued to fly, and when she next looked there was a group of wizards calming the dragon, so she flew into a tent and landed heavily on the ground. She laid there until McGonagall's face entered her line of vision, waving her wand. Legacy was forced to shift back into her human form and groaned.

"Poppy, come quickly." McGonagall called out. Legacy was magically lifted onto a bed, and then she saw Madam Pomfrey.

"Oh, are you Poppy?" Legacy asked stupidly, sitting up. "I want to see it."

"No, you probably don't." McGonagall said, and that only made her more determined. Legacy saw a mirror and pushed herself off the bed, walking towards it. What she saw in the mirror disgusted her. Her left arm was covered with burns, and Legacy was sure that there was bone poking through. She was glad that she'd tied up her hair, otherwise it would likely be gone. Legacy fumbled with her robes, and Madam Pomfrey came over.

"You don't need to do that." Legacy shook her off and pushed her robes down to her hips before turning her back to the mirror. Somehow her tattoos had escaped major damage, and she was relieved. She turned herself over to the nurses' expert care and asked that no one be allowed in to see her. A short while later, Madam Pomfrey told her she could leave. "Just keep it clean. It won't take long to finish healing, but I've wrapped it just in case. Come see me before you permanently remove the bandages." Legacy stepped out of the tent and was slightly sad that there hadn't been any visitors. Harry was mid-task, so that might be why. She held her egg under one arm and waited for Harry to complete his task, but she didn't have to wait long. He'd gotten a small cut on his shoulder that had been easily fixed. They went back to the champions' tent where Ludo awaited them.

"Well done, all of you! Just a few quick words. You've got a nice long break before the second task, which will take place on the morning of February the twenty-fourth – but we're giving you something to think about in the meantime! If you look down at your eggs, you'll see that they open. You need to solve the clue inside the egg – because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to prepare for it! All clear?" Once they all agreed that the instructions were indeed clear they were allowed to return to the castle.

Legacy was not impressed with the egg. Every time she opened it, it shrieked like a banshee. Something about the sound niggled in the back of her head, and it wasn't until she read something about underwater creatures that it hit her. When mermaids spoke out of water, they made a similar sound. She brought the egg with her to the bath one night, and her theory proved to be correct. Beneath the water the wailing became an eerie song.

_Come seek us where our voices sound,_

_We cannot sing above the ground,_

_And while you're searching, ponder this:_

_We've taken what you'll sorely miss, _

_An hour long you'll have to look,_

_And to recover what we took. _

_But past an hour - the prospect's black_

_Too late, it's gone, it won't come back._

The riddle itself was easy to figure out – something was going to be taken from her, and stored at the bottom of the lake. She then had an hour to retrieve it. As Christmas drew closer, it was obvious that Harry was still having trouble deciphering his egg. She was getting tired of the wailing, and she assumed that everyone else was, too, so she decided to give him a hand. She found Harry in the common room and sat down across from him.

"Take your egg to the bath and open it underwater. You have to be under, too." She whispered.

"What?" He asked her.

"I just told you what. You helped me with the dragons, and from the screeching noises I hear, it sounds like you're having problems. We're even." Legacy pushed her chair back and stood. "Good luck, Harry." She walked away.

Legacy knew that there was something big happening close to Christmas, but no one would tell her anything. She considered pumping one of the new Prefects for information, but she felt it wouldn't be fair, so she decided to let things play out. It turned out that she'd somehow been kept oblivious to the fact that there was going to be a Yule Ball.

"What the hell? So I'm just supposed to go by myself then?" She asked Hermione, and the girl only giggled. "Oh, this is so funny. Thanks, guys." Legacy figured they wouldn't have done this without a plan, so she only pretended to be upset with everyone. She got Ginny and Hermione to help her into the corset for her dress but shooed them before slipping into it. The dress was a halter-top style and clung to every curve on her body. The back was nearly non-existent, coming back into existence just above her rear, showing off her wing tattoos. The skirt fell to the floor and had a slit up the right side to her knee. Legacy was very glad that her burns had healed without scarring. She pinned up her hair into a messy bun and used her wand like a curling iron to turn the flyaway wisps into ringlets. She wore a pair of earrings with red stones that dropped golden chains onto her shoulders and her promise ring. As she descended the stairs into the common room she saw with satisfaction that every eye was on her.

"Legacy, you look beautiful." Hermione murmured, and Legacy smiled.

"Thank you. Now, aren't I supposed to have a date or something?" It was Hermione's turn to smile.

"He should be just outside, waiting for you."

"Oh, so this is a blind date? This just gets better and better." Hermione just laughed. Legacy walked across the common room towards the portrait hole and stepped outside. She didn't see anyone and began to walk down the stairs, hoping she'd bump into her 'date'. There was a male figure at the next landing, and she walked towards him. He had shoulder-length black hair and was wearing a smoky-grey set of dress robes. He turned towards her and she gasped.

"Legacy?" Sirius whispered. "You look absolutely stunning." Legacy rushed down the stairs as quickly as she could and launched herself into his arms.

"I love seeing you here, but it's not safe. Barty Crouch is here, and so is Mad-Eye Moody. And Moody's already figured out the identity of my long-lost love."

"Dumbledore invited me. He thought it might do you some good. And I'm wearing a Glamour Charm. Only some people can see my real face."

"That's better. Hiding in plain sight… why didn't we think of this sooner?" Legacy murmured. Sirius kissed her.

"Let's get down to this party of yours before I go upstairs and ravish you." Sirius offered her his arm, and she linked her arm through his. Arm in arm, they made their way down the stairs. Legacy was smiling so much her face was hurting, but she didn't care. She barely even felt her feet touch the floor. Sirius led her to the table and even pulled her chair out for her.

"Such a gentlemen." Legacy teased him, and he smiled.

"I live to please." After seeing how Dumbledore had 'ordered' his meal, Legacy followed suit.

"So what have you been up to?" Legacy asked him quietly.

"You know, the usual. On the run, receiving letters telling me about how my girlfriend nearly got turned into dragon food…"

"Harry was up against a dragon too."

"Harry's not an illegal Animagus, and his dragon barely scratched him. You took two weeks to heal, or so I hear." Legacy pretended not to hear as she continued to eat. "That's what I thought." After dinner was the first dance of the night, and Sirius led her out onto the floor.

"Are you any good at dancing?" Legacy asked.

"Please. I'm a Black. I learned this as soon as I could walk." The first strains of music started, and Sirius swept her off her feet. She'd had no idea that he could dance that well. Legacy was a bit put out when the first song ended and Sirius led her off the floor. He saw her slight pout and laughed. "Come on, I want to give you your Christmas present." He led her to a small archway that was covered in roses. Some were red, and others were black. Sirius pulled out a wand and cast a Muffliato Charm.

"You got your wand back? Or no?" Sirius grimaced and shook his head.

"We're not here about me. We're here about _us_." Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "When I escaped from Azkaban, I was hell-bent on revenge. After that, I would have been happy to die outside of Azkaban." He put his hands on her shoulders. "And then, out of nowhere, this beautiful, wonderful woman appeared to help me. This woman not only fed me and sheltered me, but was with me every step of the way. And when I thought I was done for, when I thought that my life was over, she came for me. She rescued me from a fate worse than death. I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for her." Kneeling, he pulled a box from his pocket. "Legacy Jones, I love you. I never thought that I would have a love like this. And I would be honoured if you would agree to be my wife." He opened the box, and tucked inside was a ring of white-gold, and cresting the top was a small diamond. "I didn't think you'd want something big and flashy." Legacy had tears running down her face and couldn't find words for a moment.

"Yes!" She finally choked out. "Yes, Sirius!" He slid the ring onto her finger above the other band, then stood and wrapped his arms around her. She laughed into his shoulder.

"What's so funny?" Sirius asked, and Legacy giggled again.

"I don't know. I'm just so happy." She tilted her head to look up at him and he kissed her. There were other people walking around outside now, and they no longer had privacy.

"My lady, might I have this dance?" Sirius asked, half bowed and hand extended. Legacy giggled again as she put her hand in his, and he led her inside. They danced to nearly every song. Sirius even tangoed her across the room in a competition of sorts against Dumbledore and McGonagall. After the tango Dumbledore approached them.

"I didn't think you were that good a dancer." Dumbledore told Sirius.

"I'm a man of many talents, sir." Sirius bowed slightly, and Legacy laughed.

"Can I see it?" Dumbledore asked, and Legacy lifted her left hand to show him the new ring. Dumbledore's eyes met her and he smiled. "Please, don't go anywhere." Legacy looked at Sirius, and he shrugged. "Excuse me! Excuse me, everyone, may I have your attention? I have an important announcement to make." Ludo Bagman called out, standing on a table. "It has just come to my attention that there is a couple under this roof who just became engaged to be married." Legacy groaned and hid her face. "Legacy Jones, the female Hogwarts Champion, has agreed to marry the love of her life. Would you lovebirds step up here please?"

"Do we have a choice?" Legacy mumbled, and Sirius laughed before taking her hand and walking towards Ludo.

"Here we are!" Ludo shouted, raising an arm in their direction. Everyone was clapping for them, and it helped make the whole scenario less embarrassing. Legacy lifted her head and smiled. Sirius lifted her onto the table before following. "Such a gentleman!" Ludo teased, nudging Sirius. He smiled and took Legacy's hand. Ludo was talking, but Legacy only had eyes for Sirius. She realized belatedly that Ludo was talking to her.

"Beg pardon?" She asked quickly.

"I asked when the wedding is going to take place." He said, and Legacy looked at Sirius.

"Does summer work for you?" Sirius asked.

"I have to wait that long?" Legacy blurted without thinking. The audience laughed, and Legacy blushed.

"Another round of applause for the happy couple, and perhaps a slow dance?" Cheers rose through the applause, and Sirius climbed off the table before assisting her. Once they both had their feet on the floor a slow song began to play, and Sirius led her to the middle of the floor.

"We could sneak away tomorrow and get married. We could probably do it tonight, I think Dumbledore can officiate." Sirius teased her.

"I don't think that Mum and Dad would appreciate that."

"It's only six months. Give you some time to get used to it." Legacy laid her head against his chest.

"I wish you could stay. Or that I could go with you." Legacy mumbled, and Sirius kissed her head.

"You can't come with me, you're competing in the Triwizard Tournament. But I could probably stay in the Shrieking Shack again."

"How long does a Glamour Charm last?" She asked.

"It's actually an item that has been Charmed, and I don't know if it can 'run out', as it were. I'll ask Hermione, or Dumbledore." Sirius promised. Legacy sighed, letting Sirius lead the dance. Legacy knew that this was the last night they could spend together for a while and looked up at him. His grey eyes were filled with tears, and Legacy kissed him. As the song died out, Sirius pulled her close and held her in a crushing embrace. Legacy felt her eyes fill with tears and looked up at him.

"I love you, Sirius." She whispered.

"I love you too, Legacy."

The next morning she woke up with a heavy heart. She looked in the mirror and saw her eyes were rimmed with red. Sirius had walked her to the Gryffindor tower and kissed her once more before leaving. Legacy had held in her tears and gave the Fat Lady the password before entering the tower. When she got inside she had to swallow her tears as her fellow Gryffindors congratulated her.

"I'm happy for you."

"You're so lucky."

"It's absolutely gorgeous!"

"Congratulations!" Such were the platitudes she received. Legacy had accepted them all with a painted smile that never reached her eyes. She felt as though her heart had been torn from her chest, even though the night had been wonderful. She had selfishly wanted Sirius to stay there for another six months, where there were Ministry officials everywhere, and they had no idea how long the Memory Charm would hold out. She shook herself and washed her face, getting ready for another day. She was one of the first people awake, and she quickly made her way down to the Great Hall. There were students from the other schools there eating, and some of them passed by to offer words of congratulations as well, and she thanked every one of them. She jumped when she felt someone's hands fall on her shoulders, and she looked up into laughing grey eyes before she stood and launched into his arms.

"I though you would have left." She said, and Sirius shook his head.

"I've been invited to stay a while longer." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Dumbledore promised to keep me well supplied with Glamour Charms."

"What are you going to do while I'm in class?" She asked, and he smiled.

"Perhaps I'll sit in the library and pine away, waiting until I can see you again." He teased her. Legacy shook her head, laughing. "I'll probably wander the school, maybe spend some time in some of my old haunts." He shrugged. "I'll be close, don't worry." They sat back down at the table and he began to eat his own breakfast. Legacy pulled out some homework she hadn't finished yet, and Sirius watched and gave some pointers. "Have you thought about what you want to do when you leave school?" Sirius asked her.

"I want to be an Auror; but I don't want to start that until I know you're safe." Sirius laughed.

"Conflict of interest much?" Legacy smiled.

"I don't think they'd take kindly to a woman with the Black name becoming an Auror when her husband is the only man to escape Azkaban." Legacy said, smiling. Sirius choked on his drink and put his goblet on the table. "What's wrong?"

"I don't think you should take my name." He said, not looking at her.

"And why not?" Legacy asked, frowning. "That's what a woman does when she marries."

"It's not safe yet." He told her, taking her hand. "I don't want to put you at risk."

"Just being with you can be a risk. And I don't care. If someone wants you, they'll have to go through me."

"I don't want you to put your life on hold because of me." Sirius pleaded, and Legacy shook her head.

"Something's happening. Can't you feel it? It started the night Harry's name came out of the Goblet." She looked at Sirius. "Moody said that only a powerful Confundus Charm could have fooled the Goblet. Voldemort's up to something, and it's not going to be pretty. So I doubt that taking your name will actually be that much of an issue over the next few years."

"It's obvious that I'm not winning this one." Sirius sighed, and Legacy laughed.

"When do you ever?" Legacy quickly finished her homework and Sirius finished his meal. They stood and walked towards the door, hand-in-hand, when they were stopped by Snape.

"Dumbledore told a few of us who you really were, and how you are innocent." Snape said.

"What of it?" Legacy asked, and Snape's eyes fell on her.

"You attacked me of your own free will that night."

"Yes, I did."

"Don't let her go, Black. A woman like this is hard to find." Snape brushed past them, his cloak swirling round his feet.

"Well, that was odd." Sirius murmured.

"All I know is that he knows that I Stunned him on purpose, and I'm getting away with it." Sirius laughed. "Come on, let's go see these 'old haunts' of yours."


	9. Year seven, Part Two

Christmas break drew to a close, and February was quickly approaching. Harry had apparently taken her advice about the egg, because he was now nose-deep in any book about underwater that he could get his hands on. Legacy already knew what she was going to do, so any spare time that she had was spent with Sirius. She just couldn't get over the fact that she could go and see him any time she wanted to. They spent Valentine's Day in Hogsmeade, and Sirius was overjoyed to be able to walk through as a free man. Well, mostly free. The night before the second task, Dumbledore needed to borrow Sirius, and said that it was urgent. Sirius kissed her quickly before leaving, and she went up to bed.

When Legacy woke up the next morning, she pulled on a swimsuit and cast a Warmth Charm on it before pulling on her champion gear. She made her way down to the lake and didn't see Sirius anywhere. Legacy saw Harry and waved him over.

"Have you seen Sirius anywhere?" Legacy asked, and Harry shook his head.

"No. Have you seen Ron and Hermione?"

"Where could they be? You'd think they'd all be here." Before either of them could speak more, Ludo Bagman's voice rang out.

"Welcome to the second task. Last night, something precious was stolen from each of our Champions. A treasure, if you will. There are four, one for each Champion. They lie at the bottom of the Black Lake. In order to win, each Champion must find their treasure and return to the surface. They will have only one hour to do this. You may begin at the sound of the cannon." Legacy had stepped out of her robes and taken a few steps back. The cannon sounded and she cast her Bubble Charm over her head and tucked her wand into a specially-made pocket before running off the dock and diving into the water. It was dark, and before she could say the spell her wand lit up. Legacy smiled as she swam further into the depths of the lake, avoiding the seaweed as much as she could. She knew that was where some creatures made their homes, and they were all too willing to attack an unwary swimmer. She pressed on, the water becoming murkier and muddier along the way. After what felt like ages she heard snatches of mer-song.

"…_your time's half-gone, so tarry not_

_Lest what you seek stays here to rot…"_

Legacy passed crude stone houses covered in algae, as well as some merpeople. They were nothing like she'd ever imagined. The merpeople had greyish skins and long, wild dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles about their necks. She saw what appeared to be the merpeople's version of a town square, with a large, roughly hewn statue of a merman in the middle. She saw someone floating near the statue, and as she drew closer she recognized Harry, but he had gills and fins. She soon saw why Harry was there – four people were tied to the merman's tail. Legacy recognized Sirius and hurried towards him. They were tied on with some kind of seaweed rope, and Legacy tugged on it to no avail – it wouldn't budge. Harry tapped her shoulder and offered a sharp-looking rock, and she smiled her thanks. Legacy quickly cut Sirius loose and handed Harry the rock back. She grabbed on to Sirius before he could drift too far and swam away from the statue some. She drew her wand and pointed it towards the surface, and before she could say the spell they were being drawn upwards. When they broke the surface Sirius took a shuddering breath and Legacy dispelled her Bubble Charm. She laid him down over her chest and swan backwards towards the shore. When Legacy felt dirt beneath her heels she stood and put one of Sirius' arms over her shoulder and held it there, wrapping her other arm around his waist. She carried him to shore, where they were handed blankets and towels.

"Are you all right? Did they hurt you?" Legacy asked Sirius.

"No, I'm fine. They didn't hurt me." Now that Sirius was safe, Legacy began to feel her anger bubble up.

"Stay here. I'm going to have a chat with some people." Sirius raised a brow at her but said nothing. She walked over to where Dumbledore was standing with Percy and Ludo.

"Good job, Legacy. You're the first one back." Percy said.

"I am this close to going batshit crazy on all three of you." Legacy growled. "What the hell were you thinking? This is why he was invited to stay longer, isn't it?" Ludo quieted his voice before turning to her.

"It was my idea. The boys had an obvious person for this task, but you ladies? We had to ship Delacour's sister in from France."

"I can't believe this. Percy, you should have known better than to pull shit like this. And what about you, sir?" Legacy turned to Dumbledore. "How did they rope you into this scheme of theirs?"

"I tried to warn them. I knew that you would be unimpressed. But they thought otherwise, and there was no talking them out of it."

"I thought you would take it better than this, Legacy. If I'd known you would react like this, I wouldn't have agreed to it." Percy said.

"If one of you Ministry people so much as looks at him funny ever again, I'll tear your throat out. Am I understood?" Legacy looked from Ludo to Percy, and they both nodded. Legacy turned on her heel and went back to Sirius, who was laughing. "This isn't funny." She told him, and he only laughed harder.

"Remind me to never piss you off." Sirius teased, and she glared at him.

"I'm just glad your Glamour Charm didn't wear off underwater or anything." Legacy murmured.

"Dumbledore knows what he's doing. He wouldn't have let them do this if he wasn't absolutely sure about it." They waited for the other champions to complete the task. Delacour was next up, but she'd been attacked by Grindylows and hadn't been able to reach her sister. Krum was after her, with Hermione in tow, and Harry was the last. He had been gone for over an hour, but he had both Ron and Delacour's sister. Legacy and Harry were now tied in points, then Krum, and Delacour was in last place.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June." Ludo was saying. "The champions will be notified of what is coming, precisely one month beforehand. Thank you for all your support of the champions."

Legacy and Sirius were in the library a few days after the second task when Harry stopped by to see them.

"Enjoying yourselves?" Harry asked, smiling.

"Yes, unless we're arguing over Herbology." Sirius responded.

"Herbology is stupid. It's not my fault that you were better at it than I was." Legacy grumbled.

"Can we all talk? With Ron and Hermione too? There's some stuff going on that I think we should all be aware of." Harry said. "Things just don't feel right."

"I've noticed that too. But it might look weird if we all sat around the school talking together. How about the next Hogsmeade weekend?" Sirius asked. "We won't draw any attention to ourselves there."

"Sounds good to me." Harry said. "Meet at the Three Broomsticks?"

"We probably won't stay there long. Too many ears."

"See you there." Harry left the library.

Sirius and Legacy were standing outside of the Three Broomsticks pub, waiting for the others to arrive. They didn't have to wait long. Together, the five of them made their way through the village away from prying ears.

"Now. What was it you wanted to talk about, Harry?" Harry told them what he'd seen on the map, and what Percy had told him at the Yule Ball.

"I had wondered why Percy was there and not Crouch at the second task." Legacy murmured.

"It doesn't make any sense." Sirius said. "I've been reading the _Prophet_, and they make it sound like he's dying."

"Getting his comeuppance for sinking Winky, isn't he?" said Hermione coldly. "I bet he wishes he hadn't done it now – he feels the difference now that she's not there to look after him."

"Crouch sacked his house-elf?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, at the Quidditch World Cup." Harry said, launching into the story of the Dark Mark's appearance. Sirius was pacing while he thought, and it was a while before he spoke.

"Let me get this straight. You first saw the elf in the Top Box, and she was saving Crouch a seat."

"Right." Harry, Ron and Hermione said together.

"But Crouch didn't show up at the match?"

"No. I think he said he'd been too busy." Harry said.

"Harry, did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the Top Box?"

"Erm… no, no I didn't. I didn't need to use it before we got in the forest. And then I put my hand in my pocket, and all that I found were my Omnioculars." Harry stared at Sirius. "Are you saying that whoever conjured the Dark Mark stole my wand in the Top Box?"

"It's possible." Sirius conceded.

"Winky didn't steal that wand!" Hermione shouted.

"She wasn't the only one in the box." Legacy said softly. "There were some Bulgarians in there, Fudge, Ludo Bagman, as well as the Malfoys and probably some others."

"I bet it was Lucius Malfoy!" Ron shouted suddenly.

"I don't know anything about Bagman, except that he used to be a Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps. What's he like?" Sirius asked, and Legacy laughed.

"He's not a bad guy. A shameless flirt, but not bad." Sirius scowled a bit, but said nothing.

"He keeps offering to help me with the Triwizard Tournament." Harry said.

"I wonder why he'd do that?" Sirius murmured, and Harry shrugged.

"He says he's taken a liking to me."

"We saw him in the forest just before the Dark Mark appeared." Hermione offered.

"Yeah, but he didn't stay in the forest, did he? The moment we told him about the riot, he went off to the campsite." Ron said.

"How do you know where he Disapparated to?" Hermione shot back.

"Come off it. Are you saying you reckon Ludo Bagman conjured the Dark Mark?"

"It's more likely he did than Winky." Sirius held up a hand to silence them.

"When the Dark Mark had been conjured, and the elf was discovered holding the wand, what did Crouch do?"

"He went to look in the bushes, but there wasn't anyone there." Harry supplied.

"Of course… he'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf… then he sacked her?"

"Yes. He sacked her just because she hadn't stayed in the tent and let herself get trampled-"

"Hermione, _will_ you give a rest with the elf!" Ron interrupted.

"She's got a measure of the man better than you do, Ron." Sirius said, shaking his head. "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "All these absences… he goes to the trouble of making sure his house-elf saves him a seat at the Quidditch World Cup, but doesn't bother to turn up and watch. He works very hard to reinstate the Triwizard Tournament, and then stops coming to that too… it's not like Crouch. If he's ever taken a day off work because of illness before this, I'll eat Buckbeak."

"You know Crouch?" Harry asked. Legacy grimaced as Sirius' face darkened.

"Oh, I know Crouch all right." Sirius said quietly. "He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban – without a trial."

"_What?"_ Ron and Hermione said together.

"You're kidding." Harry said.

"No, I'm not. Crouch used to be the head of Magical Law Enforcement, didn't you know that?" Harry, Ron and Hermione shook their heads. "He was tipped as the next Minister for magic. He's a great wizard, Barty Crouch. Powerfully magical – and power-hungry. Never a Voldemort supporter. No, he was very outspoken against the Dark side. But then a lot of people who were against the Dark side… well, you wouldn't understand… you're too young…"

"That's what my dad said at the World Cup. Try us, why don't you." Ron said irritably. A grin flashed across Sirius' face.

"All right, I'll try you… imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You're scared for yourself, and for your family, and for your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing… the Ministry of Magic's in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Terror everywhere… panic… confusion… that's how it used to be. While times like that bring out the best in some people, and the worst in others. Crouch's principles might have been good in the beginning – I wouldn't know. He rose quickly through the Ministry, and he started ordering very harsh measures against Voldemort's supporters. The Aurors were given new powers – power to kill rather than capture, for instance. And I wasn't the only one that was handed straight to the Dementors without a trial. Crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects. I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark side. He had his supporters mind you – plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamouring for him as Minister for Magic. When Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time before Crouch got the top job, but something rather unfortunate happened… Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power."

"Crouch's _son_ was caught?" gasped Hermione.

"Yep. Nasty shock for old Barty, I'd imagine. Should have spent a little more time with his family, shouldn't he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while… got to know his own son."

"Was his son a Death Eater?" Harry asked, and Legacy laughed bitterly.

"Yes. He was a Death Eater."

"He was caught in the company of people I'd bet my life were Death Eaters, but it might have been that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house-elf." Sirius told her.

"I don't believe that. Not for a minute. He was caught with the Lestranges, Sirius." Legacy said. "There was no way that was an accident."

"We don't know that for sure- " Sirius began, but Legacy cut him off.

"Do you know what they did? Probably not, it's been kept rather hush-hush. Do you know why my-" Legacy stopped herself and took a deep breath. "Do you know why they were sent to Azkaban?"

"No, I don't. All I know is that it was a farce of a trail. His fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give him a trial, and from what I've heard, it wasn't much more than an excuse to show how much he hated the boy… then he sent him straight to Azkaban."

"He gave his own son to the Dementors?" Harry asked quietly.

"Yes, and it's a good thing that he did. That boy was just as guilty as the others." Legacy murmured.

"I watched as they brought him in through my cell doors. He can't have been more than nineteen." Sirius said.

"Youth doesn't prevent someone from being guilty."

"He was screaming for his mother by nightfall, Legacy. He died about a year after they brought him in."

"Then he was a coward as well as a Death Eater." Legacy shrugged.

"He died?" Harry asked, drawing their attention back to the conversation.

"He wasn't the only one. Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. They lose the will to live. You could always tell when a death was coming, because the Dementors could sense it, they got excited. Crouch being an important Ministry member, he and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. That was the last time I saw Crouch, half carrying his wife past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterwards. Grief. Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son's body. The Dementors buried him outside the fortress, I watched them do it."

"I don't blame him." Legacy snarled. "I wouldn't have even come to visit."

"So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made." Sirius said loudly, as though she'd not spoken. "One moment, a hero, poised to become Minister for Magic… next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonoured, and, I've heard since I escaped, a big drop in popularity. Once the boy had died, people began to feel more sympathetic towards him, started asking how a nice young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. The conclusion was that his father never cared much for him. So Cornelius Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of Magical Co-Operation."

"Moody says Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards." Harry said.

"Yeah, I've heard it's become a bit of a mania with him. If you ask me, he still thinks he can bring back the old popularity by catching one more Death Eater."

"And he sneaked up here to search Snape's office!" Ron said triumphantly, looking at Hermione.

"Yeah, and that doesn't make sense at all." Sirius said.

"Yeah, it does!" said Ron excitedly, but Sirius shook his head.

"Listen, if Crouch wants to investigate Snape, why hasn't been coming to judge the Tournament? It would be an ideal excuse to make regular visits to Hogwarts and keep an eye on him."

"So you think Snape could be up to something?" Harry asked Sirius, but Hermione broke in.

"Look, I don't care what you say, Dumbledore trusts Snape –"

"Oh, come off it, Hermione. I know Dumbledore's brilliant and everything, but that doesn't mean that a really clever Dark wizard couldn't fool him –"

"Why did Snape save Harry's life in the first year then? Why didn't he just let him die?"

"I dunno – maybe he thought Dumbledore would kick him out –"

"What do you think, Sirius?" Harry interrupted. Ron and Hermione both stopped bickering to listen.

"I think they've both got a point." Sirius looked from Ron to Hermione. "Ever since I found out Snape was teaching here, I've wondered why Dumbledore hired him. Snape's always been fascinated by the Dark Arts, he was famous for it at school. Slimy, oily, greasy-haired kid, he was." Sirius added. "Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year and he was part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters." Sirius held up his fingers, and began ticking off names. "Rosier and Wilkes – they were both killed by Aurors the year before Voldemort fell. The Lestranges – they're a married couple – they're in Azkaban. Avery – from what I've heard he wormed his way out of trouble by saying he'd been acting under the Imperius Curse – he's still at large. But as far as I know, Snape was never even accused of being a Death Eater – not that it means much. Plenty of them were never caught. And Snape's certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble."

"Snape knows Karkaroff pretty well, but he wants to keep that quiet." Ron said.

"Yeah, you should have seen his face when he turned up in Potions yesterday!" Harry quickly said. "Karkaroff wanted to talk to Snape, he says Snape's been avoiding him. Karkaroff looked really worried. He showed Snape something on his arm, but I couldn't see what it was."

"Something on his arm?" Sirius looked over at Legacy, but she said nothing. If Dumbledore trusted Snape, then that was enough for her. "Well, I've no idea what that's about… but if Karkaroff's genuinely worried, and he's going to Snape for answers…"

"There's still the fact that Dumbledore trusts Snape." Legacy said softly. "Dumbledore does sometimes trust where others might not, but I can't see Dumbledore letting Snape work here if he'd ever worked with Voldemort."

"Then why Moody and Crouch so keen on getting into his office?" Ron asked stubbornly.

"Well, I wouldn't put it past Mad-Eye to have searched every single teacher's office when he got to Hogwarts. He takes his Defense Against the Dark Arts seriously, Moody. I'm not sure _he_ trusts anyone at all, and after the things he's seen, it's not surprising. I'll say this for Moody, though, he never killed if he could help it. Always brought people in alive where possible. He was tough, but he never descended to the level of the Death Eaters. Crouch, though… he's a different matter… is he really ill? If he is, then why did he make the effort to drag himself up to Snape's office? And if he's not… what's he up to? What was so important at the World Cup that he didn't turn up in the Top Box? What's he been doing while he should have been judging the Tournament?" Sirius ran a hand through his hair, lapsing into silence. Finally, Sirius looked over at Ron. "You say your brother is Crouch's personal assistant? Any chance you could ask him if he's seen Crouch lately?"

"I can try." Ron said doubtfully. "Better not make it sound like I reckon he's up to something dodgy, though. Percy loves Crouch." Sirius heaved an enormous sigh and rubbed his eyes.

"We should probably be getting back, or we'll be missed." Legacy waited for the other three to leave before walking over to Sirius. "You were rather quiet, I noticed."

"I didn't have much to add. Harry was looking for _your_ advice, _your_ opinion, not mine."

"That shouldn't stop you from giving yours."

"I tried, and Harry directed the conversation back to you, remember?" Legacy asked quietly. "Unless it had to do with the conversation at hand, you were the only one who paid any attention to what I said." Sirius frowned.

"I didn't notice that. I'll talk to him about that."

"That's not necessary. I understand why he did it." Legacy took Sirius' hand, and they made their way back to the village.

"So… anything you want to talk about? You had some pretty definite opinions earlier that I haven't heard before."

"You know that he was caught with the Lestranges, Sirius." Legacy growled.

"But I don't know why the Lestranges were sent to Azkaban."

"It was a Lestrange family event. Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan, along with Barty Crouch junior. The four of them were missing Voldemort, so they decided to go get information. Those are the only names I know from this story – Dumbledore didn't tell me any others."

"Wait, Dumbledore knows who your mother is?"

"Yes. He took me to the orphanage. I think Snape knows, or at least suspects."

"How could Snape know?"

"Because he helped me find out. I'd had a Memory Charm performed on me as a child, in case she'd already began to teach me how to be an evil bitch. In my fourth year, Snape was teaching me Occlumency, and he accidentally broke through, and I had memories rushing through my head that were unfamiliar. I passed out, or fainted, and Snape took me to the hospital wing. When I woke up, he was arguing with Dumbledore about teaching me Occlumency. Dumbledore was angry with him. I thought that another Memory Charm might be performed on me, so I wrote down what I could remember and sketched the woman. I went down to see Snape later that night, and he wasn't allowed to tell me much, but he told me enough. She was a Death Eater, I knew that from what he'd told me. I asked Dumbledore about it the next day and he told me the rest of it, including how she'd ended up in Azkaban."

"Is this something you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. I think that I should, though." Sirius gestured for her to continue. "What they decided to do was go and find a pair of Aurors and torture them for information. They didn't get it, so maybe they just continued for fun, I don't know. I do know that those two Aurors were driven into insanity by the use of the Cruciatus Curse."

"That's disgusting." Sirius whispered. "I can't believe anyone would do that."

"That's why I think that the boy was indeed a Death Eater. I don't think it was an accident that he was with them. If there was anything he was regretting, it was getting caught."

"I'm sorry. I know that doesn't help, but I don't think there's anything that I can do that actually will help." Sirius said, and Legacy smiled at him.

"Just having you here with me helps. Thank you." Sirius nodded, and they returned to the village in silence.

At Easter, Percy sent a letter that revealed that he actually hadn't seen Crouch in quite some time. There hadn't been anything odd around the school in quite some time, for which they were all quite glad. Legacy was eager to discover what the third task of the Tournament was going to be, and finally, in the last week of May, Moody held her back in class for a moment.

"You're supposed to go down to the Quidditch pitch for nine tonight, lass." Moody looked towards the door, making sure the others were all gone. "You got a moment? I wanted to talk to you."

"I can talk, yes." Legacy said. Moody nodded to one of the desks and she sat down.

"He doesn't look like any pure-bloods I know." Moody said.

"Are you always so vague?"

"You know exactly who I'm talking about, lass." Moody growled. "You really want to play this game with me? I don't exactly play fair."

"It's hard to know who you're talking about all the time. I can't read minds." Legacy said nonchalantly.

"That man what's following you everywhere. He don't look like any pure-bloods I've ever met."

"My fiancé."

"That's the one. You gonna say anything informative?"

"Are you going to ask any questions? And why does it matter to you? Dumbledore invited him here, so he can be trusted." Moody laughed.

"So you think that every person in these walls can be trusted? Every single person?"

"I think that anyone Dumbledore goes out of his way to invite within these walls can be trusted a fair amount."

"That's the only proof you need?"

"That's all the proof anyone should need." Legacy replied. Moody leaned back in his chair.

"So he's Black?"

"No, Dumbledore is Caucasian." Legacy replied, and Moody scowled.

"I didn't ask for any lip, lass. Now, the man you're out to marry, that's Sirius Black, isn't it?"

"I don't see how it's any business of yours, and as such, I don't think I need to answer that question."

"And I have my answer. Maybe I'll drop by, ask him how he's doing –"

"You touch a hair on his head, Moody, and teacher or no, I'll make you regret it." Legacy growled.

"Tough words, girl, but they're empty."

"I'm afraid you've misjudged me. I don't make threats – I make promises." Legacy stood and walked towards the door.

"I think the Aurors Office would do well by you." Moody said, and Legacy ignored him. She hurried to find Sirius and told him of both the conversations she'd had with Moody.

"I think I made a mistake, threatening him." Legacy murmured.

"I think that might have actually just made him respect you more." Sirius said. "You're proving that you don't back down from a challenge. I know that I respect that." Legacy sighed.

"Let's go get some dinner. I need to go down to the Quidditch pitch later." At half-past eight that night, she left Sirius with a promise from him that he'd avoid Moody and left for the Quidditch pitch. She bumped into Harry outside the castle. They walked down the dark lawn to Quidditch stadium, turned through a gap in the stands, and stopped dead. The Quidditch pitch was no longer smooth and flat. It looked like somebody had been building long, low walls all over it, twisting and crisscrossing in every direction.

"They're hedges!" Harry said, bending to examine the nearest one.

"Hello there!" called a cheery voice. Ludo Bagman was standing in the middle of the pitch with Krum and Fleur. Legacy and Harry made their way towards them, climbing over the hedges. "Well, what do you think? Growing nicely, aren't they? Give them a month and Hagrid'll have them twenty foot high. Now, I imagine you can guess what we're making here?" Ludo looked at them, and Krum answered.

"Maze." Krum grunted, and Ludo smiled at him.

"That's right! A maze. The third task's really very straightforward. The Triwizard Cup will be placed at the centre of the maze. The first champion to touch it will receive full marks."

"We seemply 'ave to get through the maze?" Fleur asked.

"There will be obstacles. Hagrid will be providing a number of creatures… then there will be spells that must be broken… all that sort of thing, you know. Now, the champions who are leading in points will get a head start into the maze. Then Mr Krum will enter… then Miss Delacour. But you'll all be in with a fighting chance, depending on how well you get past the obstacles. Should be fun, eh?" Ludo smiled as the champions all nodded. "Very well… if you haven't got any questions, we'll go back up to the castle, shall we, it's a bit chilly." Legacy made her way out of the maze, and Krum asked Harry to walk with him for a moment. Legacy offered to tag along, but he declined, so she went back to the castle. She went back to sit with Sirius for a while, and when he went to bed she headed up to the common room, and Harry told her about finding Crouch in the woods. He had already told Ron and Hermione, and the three of them were concocting likely theories about the man's disappearance.

"There's nothing we can do about it tonight. I suggest that we all get as much sleep as we can, then you can go ask Moody about it in the morning."

"You don't want to ask him?" Harry asked.

"What do you need me to ask him for? I don't have his class until after lunch tomorrow, so you can go ask him yourselves."

"But we don't have him tomorrow at all." Harry said. "So maybe you could ask for us –"

"No! I'm not talking to him about one thing more than necessary, and that's final." Legacy snapped. "Just leave me out of this, all right?"

"What's wrong with Moody? Don't you like him?" Ron asked.

"It doesn't matter. Off to bed, the lot of you." When none of them moved she tapped her Head Girl badge, and that got them moving. "Never thought I'd have to pull to pull rank with you lot." Legacy muttered to their retreating backs. The next morning she avoided the three of them at breakfast and Sirius noticed.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, sitting beside her. Legacy relayed the events of the night before, and he was unimpressed, to say the least. "What's he thinking, going off alone with Viktor Krum? Whoever attacked Crouch and Krum could have been standing feet away from him. I'm going to have to talk to him." Sirius shook his head. "I take it none of them know about your mother?"

"No, I don't want anyone else to know about it. _I_ don't even want to know about it, actually." Sirius nodded.

"I understand that. I'll go tell Harry off. But I think that we should all practice for the maze together. Is that agreeable?" Legacy nodded.

"As long as they don't ask anything else about Moody."

"I'll go talk to them about it now, then. I'll see you later." Sirius kissed the top of her head before going to talk to the others.

Harry had another dream with Voldemort that made his scar hurt, and he'd gone to Dumbledore to tell him about it. While he was there, he'd stuck his nose into Dumbledore's Pensieve, and into Dumbledore's memories. He'd seen Karkaroff giving names – Snape's among them – and that Dumbledore said he'd been a Death Eater but had turned spy against Voldemort; he saw the sham of a trial for Ludo Bagman, who thought he'd been helping; and he saw the trial of Bellatrix Lestrange along with Crouch junior. When he told them about that last one she stiffened, but either he didn't notice or he didn't call her out on it. Legacy hoped fervently that she didn't look too much like the woman, the last thing she needed was Harry to find out about that. But it appeared that he hadn't, and so they continued to work on new spells for the maze. Legacy already knew a lot of them, but it didn't hurt to practice. She helped Harry master a few new spells, and Sirius taught them both a few new ones. On the day of the third task, as they were all eating breakfast, McGonagall came over to see them.

"Potter, Jones, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast."

"But the task's not until tonight!" Harry said.

"I'm aware of that, Potter. The champions' families are invited to watch the final task, you know. This is simply a chance for you to greet them."

"I don't have a family, ma'am." Legacy said quietly.

"You are still expected." McGonagall said before moving away.

"She doesn't expect the Dursleys to show up, does she?" Harry asked, and Legacy shrugged.

"I just don't know why they want me to go. Isn't this like rubbing it in my face?" Legacy said bitterly. "A chance to laugh at the orphans, Harry." After breakfast they made their way to the chamber. Krum was talking to his parents in rapid Bulgarian, and Fleur was with her mother and sister. Molly Weasley was in the other corner with Bill.

"Surprise!" Molly said. "We thought we'd come and watch you two." Molly hugged Harry before turning to Legacy.

"It's good to be back." Bill said, looking around. "Haven't been here for five years."

"Care to give us a tour?" Molly said.

"Yeah, I can do that." Harry said, turning to Legacy.

"I'd be delighted. Just give me a moment." Legacy walked back to the door, where she'd left Sirius. "Mum and Bill came." She told him excitedly. "Come on!" She grabbed Sirius' hand and dragged him back over. "Mum, Bill… this is my fiancé!" Legacy said. "This is Molly and Bill Weasley." Sirius extended his hand to Molly, and she eyed him before accepting it. Bill wasn't as reserved, he accepted immediately. Harry and Legacy led them all outside, and Molly beckoned Legacy to stand with her. Harry took Bill and Sirius a bit further away before Molly spoke.

"You never mentioned you got engaged." The woman said, and Legacy blushed. "Are you sure you're not rushing this or anything? He's quite a bit older than you."

"How old do you think he is, Mum?"

"It's hard to tell, but… twenty-five?" Molly asked, and Legacy laughed. "He's not older than that, is he?"

"Quite a bit older, actually." Legacy said, smiling. "But it doesn't matter to me. I love him, and that's all that matters to either of us."

"It does matter, Legacy. You shouldn't be too far apart in age, it can cause difficulties. How old is he?"

"If you must know, he's thirty-five." Molly spluttered.

"You're not kidding, are you? Legacy, he's far too old, you just can't –"

"Don't." Legacy said quietly. "Don't even bother. Can't you just be happy for me? I'm happier with him in my life than I ever have been before."

"If you're absolutely sure about this…"

"Yes, Mum. I am."

"Then I can try." Molly looked Sirius over again. "What can you tell me about him?"

"He's from an old pure-blood family. He's unemployed at the moment. He's been at the school since Christmas." Sirius was waving at them, so Legacy pretended not to hear Molly's next question as she hurried towards the boys.

"How's Percy?" Harry asked as they came together.

"Not good." Said Bill.

"He's very upset." Molly said, lowering her voice. "The Ministry wants to keep Crouch's disappearance quiet, but Percy's been hauled in for questioning about the instructions Crouch has been sending in. They seem to think that there's a chance that they weren't genuinely written by him. Percy's been under a lot of strain. They're not letting him fill in as the fifth judge tonight, Fudge is going to be doing it." They returned to the castle for lunch.

"Mum – Bill!" Ron said, looking stunned. "What're you doing here?"

"We came to watch Harry and Legacy compete. I must say, it's a pleasant change, not having to cook." Ron sat down, and Fred, George and Ginny made their way over as well. After lunch, Harry, Bill, Molly, Sirius and Legacy whiled away the afternoon with a long walk around the castle, punctuated with Molly's attempts to pump Sirius for background information.

"Mum, please." Bill said. "Enough. I seem to recall that your parents weren't exactly pleased with your choice of a spouse but you married Dad anyway." Molly blushed slightly and left Sirius alone after that.

"Thanks." Legacy muttered to Bill.

"No problem. I think you're smart enough to make your own decisions. And Mum shouldn't be left to pester people like that very often. But this seriously makes me rethink dating." Legacy laughed. They then returned for the evening feast, and saw that Ludo Bagman and Cornelius Fudge were now seated at the staff table. As the enchanted ceiling overhead began to fade from blue to a dusky purple, Dumbledore rose to his feet at the staff table, and silence fell.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch pitch for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr Bagman down to the stadium now." As Legacy and Harry rose Gryffindors burst into applause, the Weasleys, Hermione and Sirius wished them both luck, and they headed out to the Entrance Hall along with Krum and Fleur. They walked out onto the Quidditch pitch, which was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of them; the entrance to the vast maze. The entry way looked dark and creepy. Five minutes later the stands began to fill; the air was full of excited voices and the rumbling of feet as the hundreds of students filed into their seats. The sky was a deep, clear blue now, and the first stars were starting to appear. McGonagall, Flitwick and Hagrid approached Bagman and the champions, and they were all wearing large, luminescent red stars.

"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze." McGonagall said. "If you get into difficulty and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?" The four champions nodded, and the patrollers went to their positions outside the maze.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Tied in first place on eighty-five points each, we have Miss Legacy Jones and Mr Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School! In second place, on eighty points, Mr Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute! In third place, Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!" Legacy saw Sirius sitting with the Weasleys and Hermione, and she waved. He blew her a kiss in return, and she smiled broadly. "On my whistle, Legacy and Harry! Three – two – one!" Ludo gave a short blast on his whistle, and they entered the maze. They reached a corridor, and Legacy looked to Harry.

"Good luck." Harry said.

"You, too." Legacy replied. Harry went down the left fork, so she took the right. Legacy walked down the path, and she could barely see. Her wand tip lit just as she heard Ludo's whistle sound for the second time, meaning that Krum was now in the maze. She picked up her pace, reaching the end of the corridor. She turned right, and after a moment she heard the whistle blast again. All of the champions were now in the maze. Legacy laid her wand down on her palm and it spun, showing that north was on her left. She took that path and raised her wand back over her head. The ground under her feet felt odd, and then she felt resistance. She looked down and saw that the plant was wrapping itself around her legs. Legacy struggled to get out, but it only made her situation worse. "Shit…" Legacy studied the plant, wracking her brain for Herbology information. As the plant began to twine itself around her waist, she hit upon Devil's Snare. _"Lumos Solem!"_ She shouted, pointing her wand at the ground. She closed her eyes as bright light enveloped her, and as it faded she opened them to see that the plant was scorching. "Serves you right." She murmured to the plant, and she continued down the path. She noticed that she hadn't seen any of the other champions in quite some time, and laid her wand down on her palm again. It showed her that north was directly in front of her, so she went down the left fork. The Cup was in the centre of the maze, which was north-west. Legacy only hoped that she'd not gone too far north. She looked up at the sky, but the hedges were too condensed to see many stars. Shaking her head, Legacy began to move again. Before she'd taken two steps, a scream shattered the silence. "Fleur!" Legacy shouted. That had sounded close. She couldn't see anyone around her, and proceeded cautiously. Legacy hoped that she didn't come across whatever the other girl had. She was walking backwards, examining the path she'd just come down when she bumped into something. She spun around and raised her wand only to see Krum. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was you." Legacy said, lowering her wand. He didn't say anything. "Are you ok?" Krum raised his wand, and Legacy backed away. "Hey, there's no need for that." Legacy said, backing away.

"_Crucio!"_ Legacy screamed as she fell to her knees. The pain was intense and all-consuming. White-hot knives seemed to be piercing every inch of skin as she rocked and shuddered on the ground. Suddenly the pain was gone, and she opened her eyes. Harry was standing over her now.

"Are you all right?" He asked, helping her up.

"Yes… I can't believe he did that… I bumped into him, and…" Legacy shuddered. "I thought he wasn't a bad guy."

"That's what I thought too." Harry said. "Did you hear Fleur scream earlier?"

"Yes. Do you think he…?"

"I don't know."

"Well, if you see her, send up some sparks." Legacy looked down at Krum lying in the grass. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"No problem. You would have done the same." Legacy raised her wand and sent red sparks into the air.

"I guess it's just the two of us, now." Legacy said.

"Oh… yeah, I guess we better get going, then." Harry said. They proceeded along the path, neither speaking, and came to a fork. Harry went right, so Legacy went left. She couldn't barely see anything in the dark, so she nearly tripped over Fleur in her haste.

"Fleur…" Legacy whispered as she knelt. The other girl was breathing, but appeared to be Stunned. Legacy stood and sent sparks again, then hurried down the path. After a few more forks, and a few more references to her wand, she felt as though she was getting close. She dashed around a corner and saw light ahead. The Triwizard Cup was on a plinth not far ahead of her. She ran towards it, pushing herself.

"Legacy! On your left!" She heard Harry shout. Legacy didn't even look as she threw herself to the right side of the path. She landed on her knees and rolled just as something large stepped towards her. She couldn't see what it was in the dark. _"Stupefy!"_ Harry shouted, and Legacy rolled back onto her feet. A very large spider was now bearing down on Harry. Legacy tried casting the spell herself, but it didn't work. The spider had Harry lifted into the air, and Legacy could do nothing. _"Expelliarmus!" _ Harry was now on the ground, and Legacy raised her wand again. The two of them shouted the spell at the same time.

"_Stupefy!"_ The spider keeled over, flattening a nearby hedge, and strewing the path with a mass of hairy legs. "Harry!" Legacy shouted. "Harry!"

"I'm here." Harry grunted.

"It didn't land on you or anything?"

"No, it didn't. Lucky me." Harry was dragging himself along the ground. "It bit me or something." Legacy crouched beside him, examining his leg. "Please tell me you're better at healing than Lockhart was." Harry said, and Legacy laughed.

"I'd like to think so. I've not heard any complaints yet." Legacy waved her wand, and the wound sealed itself. "It should feel better now." She pulled Harry to his feet, and he tested his leg gingerly.

"It does, thanks." He looked down towards the Cup. "It's all yours, Legacy." He gestured towards it.

"No." Legacy shook her head. "You've helped me to get this far."

"And you helped me."

"Exactly." She smiled and extended her hand. "Let's go get our Cup." Harry smiled and took her hand, and they walked down the corridor to stand on either side of the plinth.

"On three?" Harry asked, and Legacy nodded. "One – two – three!" They both grabbed a handle, and Legacy's feet left the ground. She couldn't let go of the Cup; it was pulling her onwards, in a howl of wind and swirling colour, Harry at her side.

Legacy's feet hit the ground and she stumbled, the Triwizard Cup falling from her hand. Harry was beside her on the ground.

"Where are we, Legacy?" Harry asked. She gestured for silence, shaking her head. Harry pushed himself to his feet and stood beside her. They had left the Hogwarts grounds completely; they had obviously travelled miles – perhaps hundreds of miles – for even the mountains surrounding the castle were gone. They were standing instead in a dark and overgrown graveyard; the black outline of a small church was visible beyond a large yew tree to their right. A hill rose above them to their left. Legacy could just make out the outline of a fine old house on the hillside. She had the feeling they were being watched.

"Did you know it was a Portkey?" She whispered.

"No. Do you think this is part of the task?" Harry asked.

"No. I think there's something else going on." Legacy drew her wand, and Harry followed suit. "Someone's coming." She pointed with her wand to the approaching figure, walking steadily towards them between the graves. From the way it was walking and holding its arms, it was obvious it was carrying something. The person was short, and wearing a hooded cloak pulled up to hide their face.

"Legacy, I don't like this. It feels wrong." Harry said, and his voice echoed slightly. The figure stopped beside a towering marble headstone, only six feet from them. Suddenly, Harry's hands were on his face; his knees buckled and he fell to the ground.

"Harry? Harry, what's wrong?" He didn't respond. Legacy heard a high, cold voice begin to speak instead.

"My servant has done better than I expected… bind her."

"_Incarcerous!"_ shouted the figure, and Legacy's arms snapped to her sides as ropes were conjured around her. She was dragged away from Harry and deposited beside another grave. The figure returned to Harry and dragged him towards the marble headstone, and bound him to it. Harry struggled and was struck by the figure, but the hood fell.

"You!" Harry gasped, but the figure ignored him. Legacy saw the face as he turned away – it was Wormtail. Legacy looked back at Harry and saw movement at his feet. There was a large snake slithering through the grass, circling the headstone to which he was tied. Legacy tried speaking to it, but the snake ignored her. Shaking her head, she looked around for Wormtail. He was dragging a large stone cauldron towards Harry. The bundle he'd been carrying was stirring, and Legacy felt fear stir within her. Wormtail had started a fire beneath the cauldron, and the snake slithered away into the darkness. Whatever was in the cauldron came to a boil very fast, and it sent out fiery sparks.

"It is ready, master." Wormtail said, and Legacy felt bile rise in her throat.

"Now…" commanded the high, cold voice. Wormtail pulled open the robes on the ground, revealing what was inside them, and Legacy retched. The thing Wormtail had been carrying had the shape of a human child, except that Legacy had never seen anything less like a child. It was hairless and scaly-looking, a dark, raw, reddish black. Its arms and legs were thin and feeble, and its face – no child alive ever had a face like that – was flat and snake-like, with gleaming red eyes. The thing seemed almost helpless; it raised its thin arms, put them around Wormtail's neck, and Wormtail lifted it. Wormtail lowered the creature into the cauldron; there was a hiss, and it vanished below the surface; its frail body hit the bottom with a soft thud. Wormtail was speaking, his voice shaking. He seemed frightened beyond his wits. He raised his wand, closed his eyes, and spoke to the night.

"_Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!" _The surface of the grave beneath Harry's feet cracked. A fine trickle of dust rose into the air at Wormtail's command, and fell softly into the cauldron. The diamond surface of the water broke and hissed; it sent sparks in all directions. And now Wormtail was whimpering. He pulled a long, thin, shining silver dagger from within his robes and his voice broke into petrified sobs. _"Flesh – of the servant – w-willingly given – you will – revive – your master." _Wormtail raised the dagger over his head and swiftly brought it down, severing his hand at the wrist. A scream pierced the night, and something fell to the ground. Wormtail panted in anguish, and there was a sickening splash as the hand was dropped into the cauldron. The potion had turned a burning red, and Harry was awash in the light. Wormtail was gasping and moaning with agony as he approached Harry, dagger raised. _"B-blood of the enemy… forcibly taken…you will… resurrect your foe."_ Legacy could only watch as Wormtail brought the dagger to Harry's arm and drew blood. Wormtail, still panting with pain, fumbled in his pocket for a glass phial and brought it to Harry's arm, so that a dribble of blood fell into it. He staggered back to the cauldron with Harry's blood and poured it inside. The liquid inside instantly turned a blinding white. Wormtail fell to his knees beside the cauldron before slumping to the ground, sobbing and holding the stump of his arm. The cauldron was simmering, sending its diamond sparks in all directions, so blindingly bright that that it turned all else to velvety blackness. Then suddenly, the sparks emanating from the cauldron were extinguished. A surge of white steam billowed thickly from the cauldron instead, obliterating everything around it. Legacy couldn't see Harry or Wormtail, but then through the mist she saw the dark outline of a man, tall and skeletally thin, rising slowly from inside the cauldron, and it appeared as though the shadows themselves were cloaking him. The thin man stepped out of the cauldron, and before he turned to Harry, she saw his face. Whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes, and a nose that was as flat as a snake's, with slits for nostrils… Lord Voldemort had risen again. He raised his wand, pointing it at Wormtail, who was lifted off the ground and thrown against the headstone next to Harry. He then fell to the foot of it and lay there, crumpled up and crying. Wormtail's robes were shining with blood now; he had wrapped the stump of his arm in them. "My Lord…" he choked, "my Lord, you promised… you did promise…"

"Hold out your arm." Voldemort said lazily, and his voice was still high and cold.

"Oh, master… thank you master…" When Wormtail presented the stump, he laughed; a high, cold, mirthless laugh.

"The other arm, Wormtail."

"Master, please… _please_…" Voldemort bent down and pulled out Voldemort's left arm; he forced the sleeve of Wormtail's robes up past his left elbow, and Legacy could faintly make out something on the skin there, they were too far to see what it was. Voldemort examined it carefully, ignoring Wormtail's uncontrollable weeping.

"It is back. They will all have noticed it… and now, we shall see… now we shall know…" he pressed a long, white forefinger to Wormtail's arm. Wormtail howled loudly, and a look of cruel satisfaction crossed Voldemort's face as he straightened up, threw back his head, and stared around the dark graveyard. "How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it? And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?" Voldemort whispered, as though speaking to himself. He looked down at Harry and began to speak. "You stand, Harry Potter, on the remains of my late father. A Muggle and a fool… very like your dear mother. But they both had their uses, did they not? Your mother died to defend you as a child… and I killed my father, and see how useful he has been in death…" Voldemort laughed again, and the snake had made a reappearance; circling in the grass near Voldemort. "You see that house upon the hillside, Potter? My father lived there. My mother, a witch who lived here in this village, fell in love with him. But he abandoned her when she told him what she was… he didn't like magic, my father… he left her and returned to his Muggle parents before I was even born, Potter, and she died giving birth to me, leaving me to be raised in a Muggle orphanage… but I vowed to find him… I revenged myself upon him, that fool who gave me his name… _Tom Riddle_… listen to me, reliving family history… why, I am growing quite sentimental… but look, Harry! My _true_ family returns…" the air was suddenly full of the swishing of cloaks. Between graves, behind the yew tree, in every shadowy space, wizards were Apparating. Death Eaters. Voldemort was eager to welcome them back into the fold… but with a few stipulations. "You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years… I want thirteen years' repayment before I forgive you." Voldemort then replaced Wormtail's hand, pointing out that he'd already begun to work off his debt. Voldemort walked the circle of Death Eaters, calling each by name. Malfoy… Macnair… Crabbe… Goyle… Nott… Avery… the Lestranges weren't there, but he told the others that the pair would be well rewarded. Then Voldemort spoke of a faithful servant at Hogwarts, and Legacy wracked her brain. Who could it be? She watched as Voldemort approached Harry. "You know of course, that they have called this boy my downfall? You all know that on the night I lost my powers and my body, I tried to kill him. His mother died in the attempt to save him - and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen... I could not touch the boy. His mother left upon him the traces of her old sacrifice... This is old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it... but no matter. I can touch him now." Voldemort pressed a finger to Harry's face and laughed as the boy cried out with pain.

"Leave him alone!" Legacy shouted, drawing the eyes of everyone in the graveyard.

"Ah, our other guest for the evening." Voldemort smiled, and Legacy shuddered. "I must admit, I never expected to have you land in my hands tonight. My servant has gone far beyond my expectations."

"What do you want with me?" Legacy snapped. "What am I to you?"

"So you don't know? Perhaps you know part of it… tell me, do you know who your mother is?" Legacy said nothing. "Let us pretend, for the sake of all the others, that you know nothing." Voldemort said, dragging Legacy to her feet. His grip on her arm was tight, and cold. "You all know this girl's mother. She is one of us." Legacy tried to break his grasp, but it was no use. "Eighteen years ago, I approached Bellatrix Lestrange, and outlined my plans, which she agreed to. She agreed to bear me a child. This child." Voldemort pulled Legacy around in front of him. "My legacy. My heir."

"You're lying!" Legacy spat. "It's not true!"

"But it is, my dear." Voldemort murmured. "Tell me, how much of that story did you already know?" Legacy struck out at him, trying to do something, anything, to make him let go of her.

"Don't call me that, you sick twisted son of a bitch!" She shrieked. She never saw the blow coming, and she was on the ground, ears ringing.

"Perhaps that will teach you to hold your tongue." Legacy spat up blood at Voldemort's feet, but he ignored her and walked back to Harry. He was speaking, but she wasn't listening. She felt the tears running down her cheeks, but she didn't care. It couldn't be true. He was lying, he had to be… chips flew off of one of the headstones beside her, and she looked up. Harry was crouched behind one of them, and Voldemort was standing nearby. "We are not playing hide-and-seek, Harry." The Death Eaters laughed. "You cannot hide from me. Does this mean you are tired of our duel? Does this mean that you would prefer me to finish it now, Harry? Come out, Harry… come out and play, then… it will be quick… it might even be painless… I would not know… I have never died…"

"That's rich. The so-called 'mightiest wizard', out for revenge against a fourteen-year-old boy." Legacy laughed.

"You will be silent." Voldemort spat, but Legacy ignored him.

"Is this supposed to regain you their respect? Fighting someone who doesn't stand a chance? Now I see why you target Muggles and the like, you can't face anyone else." Voldemort ignored her. "Coward!" Voldemort froze, and even Harry was giving her an odd look, like he thought she'd gone insane. In a way, Legacy felt as though she had. If she ever saw Sirius again, she'd have to tell him this, and he wouldn't want her anymore. He would leave her, and she'd rather die than live in a world without him.

"What did you call me?" Voldemort whispered, now standing before her.

"You heard me. Or maybe you've lost your hearing in your old age." Legacy spat at his feet. "I called you a coward for attacking a boy. I'm the only one that's said it, but they're all thinking it. They're just scared of death."

"And you're not?" Legacy was silent. "I asked you a question, daughter. _Imperio._" The euphoric, happy feeling came over her again, and she laughed.

"Don't call me that. And I'm not telling you anything you want to hear." Legacy laughed as he glared at her.

"_Crucio."_ Legacy shrieked and writhed on the ground as she felt pain across every single inch of skin, but it didn't last long. Suddenly the pain was gone, and when her eyes cleared, she saw Harry standing across from Voldemort. They'd both cast a spell, and their wands were connected by a beam of light. She wondered if she was just seeing things because of the pain. Suddenly Harry raised his wand into the air, breaking the connection. He ran towards where she was laying on the ground, and Legacy tried to tell him, just go, don't worry about me, but she was unable. Harry slid on the ground beside her and grabbed on to her shoulder.

"_Accio!"_ Legacy felt her body leave the ground. Something was pulling her onwards and upwards, in a howl of wind and swirling colour.

Legacy landed heavily on the ground. Wherever she was, there was plenty of light. She was still bound, she discovered when she tried to sit up.

"No, she's not dead –" she heard Harry, but couldn't see him. Sirius' face came into her field of vision, his grey eyes full of concern, and she began to sob.

"Legacy… you're going to be fine, just you see." Sirius whispered, and she just cried harder. Sirius waved his wand and her bonds fell to the ground. Legacy couldn't see Harry anywhere, and she leapt to her feet. She swayed, and Sirius put a hand on her shoulder.

"I need to see Dumbledore immediately. And where's Harry?"

"Legacy, what's happened?" Dumbledore asked, coming up to her. "We need to find Harry. Voldemort's back, and he's got someone here, working for him. Harry can't be left alone." Dumbledore turned and ran towards the castle, calling for Snape and McGonagall. Legacy started after him, but Sirius stopped her.

"You need to get to the hospital wing."

"No, I'm fine. I need to make sure Harry's safe."

"He'll be fine, Legacy. I'll take you to the hospital wing –"

"I'm going. End of story." She fled up the stairs in pursuit of Dumbledore. She merely had to listen for the footfalls, and follow the painting's directions. She found them in the Defense Against the Dark Arts office. Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall were standing in the door, and Harry was seated across from Moody. Hear approach hadn't been noiseless, and they all looked up at her arrival.

"Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess. Minerva, kindly go down to the kitchens, and bring up the house-elf called Winky." The two of them left, and Sirius entered the room.

"Before everyone comes back, I need to speak to you for a moment." Legacy murmured to Sirius. She led him into the hall and cast a Muffliato Charm, her hands shaking. "Voldemort told me some things… things that make sense. Things that he couldn't know otherwise." She took a deep breath. "Sirius, he's my father." Legacy didn't look up at him. She didn't want to remember the look on his face when he turned away from her. His hand entered her field of vision, and she flinched, but he didn't pull away. He tilted her face up to look at him.

"Why should that matter?" He asked softly. "That won't make me love you any less." He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

"I was so scared that you – you wouldn't love me anymore." She cried into his shoulder.

"There's nothing that can be done to make that happen." Sirius whispered against her hair. They stood there like that until someone coughed behind them. Legacy lifted her head to see McGonagall.

"They're ready to begin." They returned to the office, and Dumbledore woke up the man in the chair. "Crouch's son." McGonagall informed them quietly. He proceeded to tell them everything – his escape from Azkaban, the events at the Quidditch World Cup, how he'd gotten Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire, Crouch's disappearance off Hogwarts grounds.

"And tonight I was able to do better than anticipated." He said, smiling.

"How do you mean?" Dumbledore asked.

"He just needed the boy, but he wanted them both."

"Who?"

"Potter and Legacy."

"Why did he want Legacy?"

"Cause she's his _daughter_. The child of my master and Bellatrix Lestrange." Legacy closed her eyes, and Sirius held her hand tighter.

"I don't want to hear anymore." Legacy whispered, and she stepped back out of the office and walked into the hallway. She leaned against the wall, trembling like a leaf. Sirius didn't say anything, and neither did she. Not long afterwards, Snape swept out of the room, followed shortly by Harry and Dumbledore.

"We need to go to my office." Dumbledore said.

"Can't we leave that til morning?" Sirius asked harshly. "They've been through enough tonight." Dumbledore didn't respond. Legacy followed, and Sirius quickly came after, mumbling under his breath. When they were all seated in the office, Dumbledore spoke, looking at Harry and Legacy.

"If I thought I could help you," Dumbledore said gently, "by putting you into an enchanted sleep, and allowing you to postpone when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will be worse when you finally feel it. You have both shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened." Legacy let Harry begin, and when he stopped to take a breath, she would take it up. Sirius had a hand entwined with hers, and another on Harry's shoulder. When Harry spoke of how Wormtail had taken his blood, Sirius let out a vehement exclamation; and Dumbledore rose so quickly from his desk that they both started. Harry showed Dumbledore his arm.

"He said my blood would make him stronger than if he'd used someone else's. He said the protection that my – my mother left in me – he'd have it too. And he was right – he could touch my face without hurting himself, he touched my face."

"Very well. Voldemort has overcome that particular barrier. Please continue." Legacy took up the story then. When she mentioned that she'd been struck by Voldemort, Sirius' face fell. Harry spoke of how he'd been given his wand back and the duel had begun. Legacy told of how she'd tried to distract Voldemort, but she struggled to speak of her emotions at the time. Sirius seemed to understand anyway, and he gripped her hand so tightly it began to hurt. She told them what Voldemort had done, and Sirius' face darkened.

"After he Cruciated me, the next thing I remember seeing was Harry facing off against Voldemort, and there was a weird, golden beam of light connecting their wands." Harry continued from where she'd been Cruciated. When Voldemort's back was turned he'd climbed out from behind the gravestone and called out to Voldemort, and then attacked. He couldn't explain the beam, however.

"Priori Incantatem." Dumbledore explained that Harry's and Voldemort's wand cores both came from Fawkes, and that one of the wands would force its brother to regurgitate the last spells it had done. Harry had seen the 'echoes' of the last people Voldemort had killed, including his parents. Harry went on to tell them that Voldemort had seemed to be afraid of these echoes, and that they'd told him when to release the spell, and how he'd gotten both him and Legacy back. "I will say it again. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you tonight, both of you. You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers. You have shouldered a grown wizard's burden and found yourselves equal to it – and you have now given us all that we have a right to expect. You will both come with me to the hospital wing, I do not want you returning to the dormitory tonight." The four of them left the office and walked down a flight of stairs to the hospital wing. When Dumbledore pushed open the door, Molly, Bill, Ron, and Hermione were grouped around Madam Pomfrey, demanding to know where both Legacy and Harry were. When Molly saw them, she let out a muffled scream and started to hurry towards them, but Dumbledore held up a hand. "Molly, please listen to me for a moment. Harry and Legacy have been through a terrible ordeal tonight, and they have just had to relive it for me. What is needed now is sleep, and peace, and quiet. If they would like you all to stay with them, you may do so. But I do not want you questioning them until they are ready, and certainly not this evening." Dumbledore said a few more words, but Legacy wasn't listening. She forgot for a moment that there were even other people in the room, and began to undress, but Sirius guided her out of sight. She came back and climbed into her bed, Sirius sitting beside it.

"Come here." Legacy said, patting the bed.

"You sure about that?"

"After what's happened tonight, I don't think I ever want to let you out of my sight again." Legacy murmured, and Sirius nodded. He quickly got changed before climbing into the bed with her. Molly raised a brow at them, but said nothing, for which she was very grateful. Legacy curled into Sirius' arms, and was asleep before Madam Pomfrey had returned with the Sleeping Potion.

Legacy woke with a familiar scent in her nostrils. She looked up, and upon seeing Sirius, she smiled. There were voices around her, and she tried to ignore them, but they were very loud.

"Envoys to the giants?" A voice shrieked. "What madness is this?"

"Extend the hand of friendship now, before it is too late," Legacy recognized Dumbledore's voice. "or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone amongst wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!" Legacy rolled over in the bed to watch what was going on.

"You've missed most of it." Sirius said. "It's mostly Fudge just saying that nobody can be trusted."

"If the magical community got wind that I had approached – people hate them, Dumbledore – end of my career –"

"You are blinded by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too much importance, and you always have, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your Dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any – and see what that man chose to make of his life! I tell you now – take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers for Magic we have ever known. Fail to act – and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside, and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!"

"Insane…. Mad…." Fudge whispered, backing away. Silence fell, and Legacy felt this was a good time to speak up.

"I take it that if you're not going to believe Dumbledore, and if you set such high stock with blood purity, that you're not going to listen to me, either."

Nearly everyone in the room jumped, turning to face her.

"And who might you be?" Fudge demanded.

"We met at the Quidditch World Cup, in the Top Box. Legacy Jones." Fudge's lip curled in a slight sneer. "My version of events matches with Harry's, sir, so what's your excuse for not listening to me? And if you mention blood purity, I hope that you don't expect my vote the next time Election Day comes around." Fudge said nothing, only twirling his bowler hat in his hands. "You're afraid, I understand. But it's better to face your fear than to bury your head in the dirt and avoid it. Smarter, too – you won't look as stupid in the long run."

"Are you insinuating that I am unintelligent?" Fudge asked.

"From where I'm sitting, there's a lot of smart people in this room, and you're not one of them." Sirius groaned softly behind her, but she didn't stop. "I hope that others aren't going to be as blind as you. Coward."

"See here, young lady, I don't know who the hell you are, but what makes you think that you can say things like that to me? I'm the Minister for Magic!"

"All I see right now is a man who refuses to see what's placed in front of him, and I have no respect for your kind." Fudge opened his mouth, but Legacy held up a hand. "Don't bother. There's nothing you can say to scare me – I faced down Voldemort, I don't think you can top that."

"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius," Dumbledore said quietly, "then we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I – I will act as I see fit."

"Now see here, Dumbledore." Fudge said, waving a threatening finger, "I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students, with no reference to the Ministry. But if you're going to work against me –"

"The only one against whom I intend to work is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, than we remain, Cornelius, on the same side." Fudge mumbled something that Legacy didn't quite catch, but it sounded a lot like more whining. It appeared that Legacy wasn't the only one tired of it, because Snape strode forwards, past Dumbledore, rolling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm, and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled.

"There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was, an hour or so ago, when it burnt black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had it burnt into him by the Dark Lord. When he touched the Dark Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold." Fudge was shaking his head, and he didn't seem to have taken in a word Snape had said.

"I don't know what your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school." Fudge stopped on his way out the door at Harry's bed and took a pouch from his pocket. "Your winnings." Fudge left without another word.

"There is work to be done." Dumbledore said, turning to face them all. "Molly… am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?"

"Of course. He knows what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that's held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride."

"Then I need to send a message to him. All those we can convince of the truth must be notified immediately, and Arthur is well-placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as short-sighted as Cornelius."

"I'll go to Dad now." Bill said, standing.

"Excellent. Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry –"

"Leave it to me." After Bill left, Dumbledore gave instructions to McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, who left immediately afterwards. Legacy and Sirius were now sitting up in the bed, side-by-side.

"Sirius, if you would?" Sirius removed his Glamour Charm, and Molly screamed and leapt back from the bed.

"Sirius Black!"

"Mum, it's fine." Legacy soothed her.

"Sirius… Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences, and trust each other."

"You're asking for a miracle, sir." Legacy said. "I don't think they'll ever trust each other." Sirius and Snape were eyeing each other with the utmost loathing.

"I will settle, in the short term, for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth stand united, there is no hope for any of us." Very slowly, Sirius rose from the bed and walked towards Snape. The two of them shook hands, letting go extremely quickly.

"That will do to be going on with." Dumbledore said. "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher – the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while, I will contact you there."

"All due respect, sir, but he's not going anywhere without me." Legacy said, standing up.

"Legacy, you can't –" Sirius began, but Legacy cut him off.

"Don't you dare try and tell me what I can and can't do, Sirius."

"Legacy, you would slow him down. He can travel faster alone, without a human companion." Dumbledore said.

"Who said anything about humans?" Legacy said, smiling. "I'm an Animagus, sir. That's what I did at the first task. Please, don't begin to lecture me about pushing myself. I know my limits. But I'm not letting him out of my sight." Dumbledore nodded before turning to Snape.

"Severus… you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready… if you are prepared…"

"I am." Snape looked paler than usual, and his cold, dark eyes glittered strangely.

"Then good luck." Snape swept out of the room.

"I must be off. Drink the rest of your potion, Harry. I will see most of you later." Dumbledore was shutting the door, but Legacy stopped him.

"Thank you, sir, for everything. You've known about most of my issues since day one, and you've continued to trust me. And you still do. Thank you."

"You are most welcome, Legacy." Dumbledore shut the door behind him, and Legacy turned to face the room.

"I am extremely sorry, but there are some things that cannot be spoken of until another time. Until then, Harry can tell you most of the story, but mine doesn't differ that much." Legacy turned to Molly. "Mum… Molly, I have loved you like a mother, and I still do, and I hope nothing happens to change that. Please pass this along to everyone else. Hermione, you've been like a sister to me. I'll never forget the chats the three of us girls had this summer, up in the Burrow. Ron, you've always been little Ronnie to me. Take care of yourself." At last, she turned to Harry. "And you? You've been like a partner in crime, almost. You've helped me out of a lot of scrapes, and I hope that won't ever change." Harry extended his hand, and Legacy shook it. "By the way, I don't care what you do with the gold. Maybe give it to Fred and George; they can finally start that joke shop." Legacy waited while Sirius made his goodbyes to Harry.

"You've known who he was the entire time?" Molly asked quietly.

"Yes. We first met when he'd just escaped from Azkaban."

"And you love him, even so?"

"Yes. He's innocent, Mum. Look at him with Harry."

"As long as you're happy, dear." Legacy gave Molly a quick hug before Sirius walked towards her.

"We'd better get going." Legacy nodded, pulling away from Molly.

"Stay safe, dear." Molly said, and there were tears in her eyes.

"I love you, Mum." Legacy whispered, then she and Sirius walked out the door.


	10. Year eight

For the most part when she and Sirius went to visit people, Legacy would remain outside on watch. She didn't know these people, and Sirius did, so she pretended that she was being respectful of their privacy. The reality was that she felt like anyone who looked at her would know who her father was, like it was a brand on her forehead. Legacy was very glad when they'd finished visiting the 'old crowd' that Dumbledore had mentioned, and could finally go visit Remus. It had only been a year since she'd seen him, but it felt like forever. Remus was just one of those people that a person felt they could entrust with any secret, and Legacy felt that he of all people would understand what she was going through, especially considering his condition. It was the first house that she'd actually shifted back into human form for, and she could tell that Sirius was pleased, even if he didn't say anything. Remus' parents were both dead, and so when he couldn't find any work, he returned to his family home. That was where they found him. Legacy raised a fist and knocked on the door. It was a few minutes before Remus answered, and he was wearing a broad grin.

"Legacy! Sirius! I must admit, you two are the last people I'd have expected to come knocking at the door." Legacy returned his smile.

"I wish I could say that this is just a social call, but I'm afraid it's not. Can we come in?" Remus backed towards the wall, opening the door further.

"I wish I could say this place was tidier. I do apologize for the mess." Remus said, showing them to the living room. They all sat down, and Remus spoke first. "You mentioned that this isn't a social call." Legacy nodded.

"Voldemort's back." She told him what had happened, and even told him what Voldemort had revealed about her parentage. If Sirius was surprised at this, he didn't show it. "Dumbledore told us to lie low here for a while, and he would contact us."

"You're welcome to stay, of course. I am sorry about the way this turned out, however." Remus said. "That's not a very nice thing to discover."

"Thank you, Remus." Legacy stood. "I don't know about either of you, but I'm hungry. Is there any food in here, Remus?"

"I don't think there's very much." Remus walked out towards the kitchen. "I was going to do some shopping soon."

"I can go do that." Legacy offered.

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm not trying to say you can't do it, it's just that we've both been on the move, and I thought you might want to sleep first." Sirius said.

"Thank you, but I can do this. You two get something to eat for yourselves, I'll eat in town. You deserve a chance to catch up. Is there a car?" She asked Remus, who handed her a set of keys and told her the car was in the garage.

Legacy walked through the door a few hours later, arms full of groceries. Remus heard the door and came to help.

"Where's Sirius?" Legacy asked, and Remus nodded upstairs.

"After we ate, he went right up and fell asleep. I'm surprised you aren't dead on your feet."

"Not with groceries piled up in the car." Legacy said, smiling. "And I wanted to talk to you, alone."

"I think I can manage that. Let's finish this first, though." After the groceries were brought inside, Remus put the car away and Legacy stocked the shelves before going to sit back in the living room, where Remus was waiting for her. "Are you planning on feeding the entire neighbourhood or something, Legacy?" Remus teased.

"Just a werewolf and a pair of Animagi, so nearly the same thing." She smiled at him, and he blanched slightly. "I'm sorry if I offended you, I was just trying to tease you."

"No, it's just that it's been a long time since it was referred to openly like that." Remus shook his head. "Anyway, there was something you wanted to ask me about."

"Yes, and I don't know if it's something I can talk to Sirius about, because I don't know if he'll understand the same way you might."

"Why me?"

"Because you're a werewolf." Legacy sighed. "I've known that Bellatrix Lestrange was my mother for a long time – since fourth year, actually. I've suspected that Rodolphus Lestrange was not my father, because they've never exactly had what could be called a loving relationship. But I never suspected the truth. Everywhere we went since leaving Hogwarts, I've let Sirius go in and talk, and I've sat up on the roof, 'keeping watch'." Legacy ran a hand through her hair. "I've felt as though anyone who looks at me will know, like it's written on my forehead or something – 'Spawn of Voldemort'. And I just don't know what to do about it. I'm engaged to marry a man who is, according to our government, a convicted felon, so I can't exactly hide from the world forever, and I'm scared that if I hide, it will only serve to make this fear worse. I've never been scared of anything like this before. I know it's stupid, and foolish, but I can't help it." She leaned back in the chair, looking up at the ceiling. "I thought you might be able to commiserate, if nothing else."

"Well, I can do better than that." Remus said. "I do know how you feel. I felt like that for a long time. I can understand if you want to hide it, but you need to accept this knowledge, and you can't let it hold you back. It obviously doesn't bother Sirius – what did he say when you told him?"

"He asked me why it should matter." Legacy's eyes filled with tears. "He said that it wouldn't make him love me any less. I told him that I'd been so scared that he wouldn't love me anymore, and he said that it would never happen. Remus, I had myself convinced that he wouldn't love me anymore. I was trying to provoke Voldemort, make him mad enough to kill me, just so that I wouldn't have to tell him." Legacy was crying openly now. "I called him a coward. I essentially told him that I wasn't scared of death. I did everything I could, because I'd rather die than live without Sirius, Remus."

"Does Sirius know that?"

"I've never spelled it all out like that, but I think he figured out what I'd been doing when we were all talking to Dumbledore."

"Why haven't you told him?"

"We've been on the move ever since that night. I haven't gotten a full night of sleep since."

"You have plenty of opportunities to sleep now." Remus said, and Legacy shook her head.

"It's not that I haven't had a chance, it's that I haven't been able to. Nightmares." Legacy shuddered.

"Well, there's not much I think I can do for that, so I'll do what I can." Remus leaned forward in his chair. "What worked for me was coming to terms with it and accepting it, realizing that being a werewolf didn't change who I really was inside. James and Sirius helped to convince me of that, so I think Sirius might be a better listener than you thought."

"I've never doubted his listening abilities. I just didn't know if he'd be able to help with this."

"He knows that there's something you're not telling him, and it's hurting him. He feels like you think you can't trust him."

"Sirius said that?" Legacy asked, and Remus chuckled.

"Well, not in so many words, but near enough." Legacy nodded, and Remus continued speaking. "You need to talk to him about it. He feels useless, like there's nothing he can do, and as long as you continue to shut him out like this, that won't change."

"How did you get so good at this?" Legacy asked, and Remus shrugged.

"Talent, I guess."

"There's a woman out there just waiting to meet you, Remus. And she's one hell of a lucky girl."

"There isn't a woman that I hate enough to marry her to a werewolf." Remus said darkly, and Legacy hugged him.

"When you meet the right girl, you'll change your mind. I'm going to go up to bed, now."

"Second door on the right is the bedroom you two are in, and the first on the left is the toilet." Remus called after her. Legacy walked to the bedroom door and walked in, closing the door behind her. Sirius was laying on the bed, taking up nearly all of it. Legacy laughed before undressing and slipping in beside him.

"Whozzat?" Sirius mumbled sleepily, and Legacy kissed him. "Legacy…"

"Yes?" Legacy murmured, curling beside him.

"Love you."

"I love you too."

When Legacy woke up, she was alone, but the bed beside her was still warm. She climbed out of bed and wrinkled her nose at the clothes she'd taken off before going to bed. They were very nearly the only ones that she had, and all of the clothes she did have were dirty. She stuck her head out of the bedroom door.

"Sirius!" Legacy shouted, and he appeared at the bottom of the stairs. "Are these _really_ the only clothes that I have? They're filthy."

"She's said nearly the same thing every day." Sirius said, looking over his shoulder, and when he looked back, Legacy stuck her tongue out at him.

"That doesn't answer my question." Legacy could hear Remus' voice, but she couldn't hear what he was saying.

"Moony says to look in the room across the hall, second on the left." Legacy dashed across the hall, and Sirius wolf-whistled at her. Legacy, now a wonderful shade of scarlet, deigned to ignore him. She looked around the room she was now standing in. It had once been a dressing room. Opening a drawer, she realized whose dressing room it had been and stuck her head out the door.

"Sirius!" Legacy called. When she saw him, she continued. "I can't wear these, they were his mother's clothes!"

"Moony thought you would say that, and he says that they're just going to waste in there, so you may as well wear them."

"Only if he's sure…"

"Yes, he's sure. I'm going to get hoarse, yelling up the stairs at you."

"Then why don't you come closer?" Legacy teased.

"Don't tempt me." Sirius said, and Legacy flushed under his gaze. "Go get some clothes on, woman." Legacy went back into the room, and took a better look at the clothes. They were nearly all very close to her own size, and Legacy was surprised at how well they fit. She finally made her way down the stairs.

"Thank you, Remus. I didn't expect you to do this, you know. Sirius wasn't wrong, that is something I say nearly every day."

"It's perfectly all right, Legacy. Like I told Sirius, they're just sitting there. They may as well get used." Legacy smiled and walked into the kitchen.

"What are you up to?" Sirius asked, as Legacy rummaged through the cupboards.

"I know that neither of us have had any 'real' food in a while, and I suspect it's the same with Remus. I'm going to make something to eat."

"Don't blow up the kitchen." Sirius teased.

"Mum taught me quite a bit about cooking, thank you very much." Legacy retorted heatedly, her head in a cupboard. "Has there been any word from Dumbledore yet, or any of the others?"

"Nothing yet. Harry's back at the Dursleys, and he took your advice about the gold."

"Good, I'm sure we're all going to need something to laugh at over the next while."

"There was something I wanted to talk to you about." Sirius said, and he sounded a bit nervous. Legacy deposited her pots and pans on the counter and turned to him.

"Is something wrong?" Legacy asked, and Sirius shook his head.

"No, it's just something that I've been thinking about for a while." He ran a hand through his hair. "With Voldemort coming back, I don't want to put this off any longer than necessary."

"Put what off?"

"I want to marry you."

"I know that." Legacy laughed, raising her left hand.

"No, I mean soon. This summer, if we can; so that Harry can come too."

"Are you sure? You don't think it's too soon? You were all for putting it off at Christmas."

"That was before a lot of things happened. I love you, Legacy, and that's never going to change. I want to be your husband, and I want you to be my wife." Legacy smiled, then remembered her conversation with Remus the day before.

"I think there's something I need to talk to you about, first. Come take a walk with me?" Legacy gestured to the back door, and Sirius nodded. They stepped outside, and Legacy told him everything – her thoughts when she'd been at Voldemort's mercy, trying to antagonize him; and how she'd felt since. "That's why I didn't go into any of those houses. I was scared, and I know it's something silly, but I just can't help it." Legacy said, and looked at Sirius. "I just wanted you to know that, before we made any solid wedding plans." Sirius pulled her into a crushing embrace.

"I can't believe you ever thought that. I'm so sorry, I never realized it was that bad." Legacy breathed deeply, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off her chest.

"I think that some of it was the shock. I haven't felt like that since that night."

"I'm glad for that." Sirius pressed a kiss to her forehead. "So… you think Arthur and Molly would let us borrow the Burrow?" Legacy laughed.

"I don't see why not." She pulled back, so she could look up into his eyes. "I love you, Sirius."

"I love you too, Legacy."

Remus thoroughly enjoyed her cooking, but Sirius teased her to no end about it. She knew he liked it, and she was glad that he was teasing her. It felt right. It felt _good_. Remus and Sirius were calling each other 'Padfoot' and 'Moony', and Legacy teased them about it.

"If you call each other that in front of Fred and George, I think they might have a heart attack. I don't think they'd ever have suspected you two to be in on the Marauder's Map."

"It's good for young boys to have heart attacks. Puts hair on their chests." Sirius said, and Legacy laughed.

"Well then, you mustn't have had many heart attacks as a young boy." Legacy responded. Remus laughed, and Sirius joined in after a moment. They passed a week that way, until they finally heard from Dumbledore. He arrived one afternoon via Floo Powder, and Legacy was in the kitchen cleaning up from lunch. Remus and Sirius were both outside; Legacy had asked them to do some yard work, and after much grumbling, they had finally agreed. She'd not heard Dumbledore arrive, and she was elbow deep in water and suds, with her back turned to the living room entry way.

"I see you've settled in nicely." Legacy spun around, wand in hand, and blushed when she saw it was just Dumbledore.

"I'm sorry, sir." Legacy put her wand away and quickly dried her hands off. "You startled me, is all."

"No need to apologize, Legacy. And I'm no longer your teacher, so you needn't call me that." Dumbledore looked around the kitchen. "I didn't see Sirius and Remus."

"They're outside, just a moment." Legacy walked over to the door and opened it. "Boys, we've got company!" They weren't very long coming in. They were both covered in dirt. "What were you two doing out there, rolling around in it? Go wash up!" Legacy pointed towards the stairs.

"Moony started it…" Sirius grumbled, but Legacy didn't relent. The two of them marched up the stairs to clean up and change.

"I'm so sorry about that. Would you like a cup of tea?" Legacy asked Dumbledore, who was chuckling.

"You'll make quite the mother, of that I'm sure." Legacy blushed. "But yes, I would enjoy a cup of tea." Legacy ushered Dumbledore towards the table and started on the tea. There were three steaming cups of tea on the table by the time Sirius and Remus came back down the stairs, and Legacy was preparing her own coffee. "That's better." Legacy mumbled, glaring at them. "You're adults, not children." They pretended not to hear her, and Legacy shook her head. Dumbledore waited until she was sat down at the table before speaking.

"We have contacted a large number of people, mostly members of the original Order, who have decided to listen to the truth, and not to Fudge's lies."

"I'm sorry, sir, but what Order are you talking about?" Legacy asked.

"The Order of the Phoenix. We fought in the First Wizarding War, against Voldemort and his supporters. We had the support of the Ministry that time round, however. We will need to be very careful. But this time, we don't have a headquarters."

"Oh, I can help with that." Sirius said. "I've got a big house sitting in London, collecting dust. I'm not going to ever use it, so you may as well."

"I didn't know you had a house." Legacy said, and Sirius grimaced.

"More accurately, I'm the only Black left outside Azkaban. It's our ancestral family home, and I think it would make dear old Mum roll around in her grave if she knew you were all using it." Sirius said. Legacy had known about his dislike of his family, but she'd not known how great the dislike was. "Number twelve, Grimmauld Place."

"Let's go take a look, shall we? See if it's inhabitable."

"Probably a good idea… don't know the last time anyone was in there, actually." Sirius and Dumbledore went to look at it, and Legacy quickly finished the dished.

"You've talked to him, I take it?" Remus said from the table.

"I didn't realize that it was bothering him so much, or that it was weighing on me so heavily. Thank you, Remus."

"I figured from his behavior that the two of you had spoken. It's good to see the old Sirius resurface once in a while." Legacy sat down at the table.

"Can you tell me more about him? Whenever he talks about school, it's always stories about… all of you, and he doesn't tell me much about himself." Remus leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head.

"Let's see… he's always been a bit of a trouble maker. Any time we were ever in trouble, it was usually his fault, but he was always good about getting us out of trouble right quick. Smart as a whip. He was the one who figured out I was a werewolf first, but he let the others come to it on their own. He told me right away, but he didn't hold it against me. He's got a good heart, always trying to help. Cares more about others' safety than his own. Never a better person to have on your side in a fight. Extremely loyal. Once he's your friend, you can depend on him, unless…" Remus trailed off, but they both knew he didn't need to finish that sentence. They sat in silence until Dumbledore and Sirius returned.

"I have cast the Fidelius Charm over the house, and I am the Secret-Keeper." Dumbledore announced. "The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located at number twelve, Grimmauld Place."

When Legacy first entered the building she was appalled at the state it was in. It had once been lovely, but had fallen into disrepair. The front door opened into a long hallway, lit by a large chandelier and gas lamps. The wallpaper was peeling and the carpet had worn thin. Legacy saw a portrait on the wall, and the woman in the portrait cried out when she saw her.

"Bellatrix! My Bellatrix, come to see your auntie? Such a good girl, you always were." The woman was old and haggard, and Legacy disliked her.

"I'm not Bellatrix, I'm sorry." Legacy said, and the woman continued to smile.

"Who else could it be, darling? My beautiful Bella, come chat with me a bit."

"I'm sorry, but I need to clean the house. I'll come by later." Legacy told her. Sirius walked up and reached for the canvas overhead. The woman's face distorted and she began to shriek but the canvas dulled the sound. Sirius took Legacy by the arm to show her the rest of the house. They met the oldest house elf that Legacy had ever seen.

"Mistress Bellatrix, how nice it is to see you." He nearly purred, bowing. "Perhaps you can help Master Sirius learn the errors of his ways?"

"I am _not _Bellatrix Lestrange. My name is Legacy." The elf looked up at her again.

"Perhaps you are not. Your eyes are different." The elf then looked to Sirius. "You break your mother's heart every time she sees the filth you bring in, Master." Sirius laughed bitterly.

"My mother didn't have a heart, Kreacher. She kept herself alive out of pure spite. And in case you didn't notice, that thing is just a portrait. Walburga Black died years ago." Sirius stepped around the house elf, fuming.

"That... woman... in the portrait... that was your mother?" Legacy asked gently.

"Yes. You know, you're the first person she hasn't started screaming at immediately." Sirius sighed. "I wish I could take the bloody thing down, but it's stuck with a Permanent Sticking Charm. Come with me, and I'll show you the rest of the house." On one side of the hallway was the dining room, which had a dresser with the Black family crest and assorted china. The kitchen was below ground and was accessed through a narrow staircase at the end of the entry hall. It was a cavernous room with a large fireplace at one end and a large wooden table in the centre. At the end of the hallway was a set of stairs that led one to the first upper floor. On the first landing there were three rooms: a drawing room, a bedroom, and a bathroom. The drawing room had long windows facing the street, a large fireplace, and the tapestry of the Black family tree. The second floor had several rooms, one of them being a bedroom. The third floor was filled with bedrooms, and the topmost landing had two bedrooms. One of them was Sirius', and Legacy pushed open the door. She smiled and looked around the room. It was decorated with Gryffindor colours and banners, with posters of bikini-clad Muggle women and Muggle motorbikes. Sirius followed her in and looked around.

"Now I'm beginning to wish these weren't stuck up here like this." Sirius said, gesturing towards the posters.

"I don't think that bed would hold the both of us, do you?" Legacy giggled, gesturing towards the single-size mattress.

"I guess we'll just have to appropriate one of the other bedrooms. Buckbeak's in the master, and I wouldn't stay in there if someone paid me to." Legacy laughed and took Sirius' hand, and they walked back down the stairs.

There were new members as well as returning ones. Dumbledore, of course; the _real_ Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Hagrid, Snape and Sirius were among the surviving members of the original Order, and Kingsley Shacklebolt, Molly and Arthur Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks and Legacy herself were some of the new members. There were others she'd not met, but some of them were abroad at the moment. She was cleaning when most of them arrived, so Sirius had to play the host for once. At dinner that evening, she saw that Arthur and Molly were there with Fred, George, Ron and Ginny, and they even had Hermione in tow. She also met the new arrivals. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks were both Aurors. Shacklebolt was misdirecting the Ministry's efforts to locate Sirius, and she thanked him profusely. Legacy then introduced herself to the other woman.

"Please, I beg of you, call me Tonks." She said, and Legacy smiled.

"Only if you call me Legacy." The two of them shook hands, and it wasn't long before she spotted Legacy's glittering hand.

"Oi! All of you! We've got ourselves a little lovebird!" Tonks waved everyone over. "Who's the lucky fellow?" Tonks demanded, a grin on her face. Sirius walked behind her chair and placed his hands on her shoulders. Fred and George started shouting, and Legacy and Sirius explained about the Glamour Charms. Molly then served supper, and Tonks sat with Legacy and was pumping her for information. Legacy laughed and answered questions as best she could. She and Tonks became fast friends.

On the second of August, Harry and his cousin were attacked by Dementors. The Ministry had immediately sent an owl calling for his expulsion, but Dumbledore was able to talk them into giving Harry a hearing instead. Arthur and Sirius both sent owls to Harry telling him to not leave the house, and to not surrender his wand. Harry's hearing was set for the twelfth, ten days hence. It was decided that they were going to mount a rescue for Harry, and numerous people volunteered. Legacy was allowed to go but Sirius wasn't, due to him still being a wanted criminal and all. The other members that went were Mad-Eye, Remus, Tonks, and four others she'd not gotten names from yet. On the fifth, the group left the headquarters. When they arrived at the Dursley's, Tonks kept on knocking things over and made a terrible amount of noise. Harry stuck his head out of his room and pointed his wand down the hall at them.

"Harry, it's me, Legacy."

"How do I know it's you?" Harry demanded.

"The boy's not stupid." Moody growled, and Legacy ignored him.

"I'm engaged to your godfather." Harry didn't move, so she tried again. "I'm a Parselmouth, and we saved Ginny Weasley from Tom Riddle's crazy diary." Harry decided it was safe now, and was introduced to everyone he didn't know.

"It's good to see a couple familiar faces. You have the wedding yet?" Legacy shook her head.

"No. Sirius was adamant about you being there, and I agreed."

"That's enough chatter. Tonks, you take the boy upstairs and make sure his things are packed. Jones, make sure Tonks didn't do any major damage." Mad-Eye barked, and Legacy rolled her eyes.

"How many times have I got to tell you that it's _Legacy._" She picked up the broken pieces of plates. "What are you going to do when there's two Blacks running around?" Mad-Eye didn't say anything, and Legacy laughed. Tonks and Harry came back down the stairs, and they all stepped outside. Legacy cast a spell on Harry's trunk to make it float and tied it to his broomstick. Harry let his owl out, and they all took off. Tonks was leading the way, and Harry was next. Remus was below, with Moody behind. Legacy was in the advance guard, and others were flying further behind them. Legacy could hear Tonks and Mad-Eye yell at each other occasionally, but she wasn't able to make out what they were saying. When they arrived, Mad-Eye handed Harry a piece of paper that Dumbledore had written the Secret. Legacy could see the house, but Harry couldn't until he read the Secret. After a moment, they all stepped inside. Moody turned the lights on, and Molly came out through a door at the end of the hall.

"Oh, Harry, it's lovely to see you! You're looking a bit peaky, but you'll have to wait a bit for dinner." Molly looked over Harry and spoke to the rest of them. "He's just arrived, the meeting's started." Legacy followed the others down towards the kitchen, where Molly had just come from.

"You're all back in one piece, I see." Sirius said, catching sight of her. Legacy smiled at him.

"No thanks to Mad-Eye here." Tonks muttered darkly. "He wanted us to fly through clouds and double back and everything." Legacy went and sat beside Sirius as the others settled themselves around the table.

"As I was saying," Snape said from across the table, "the Death Eaters are no closer to getting whatever it is they're looking for in the Department of Mysteries. It seems as though the Dark Lord is determined to get his hands on whatever this object may be, no matter what the cost."

"No one's telling you what it is yet?" Legacy asked.

"They don't seem to trust me enough yet." Snape said,

"I wonder why not…" Sirius murmured, and Legacy nudged him.

"Is there anything short of handing them the headquarters that will make them trust you more?" Legacy asked.

"Not very many. Beyond handing over either one of two certain people, I doubt there is much at this point." Legacy shuddered. It had been decided that it was too much of a tactical advantage to keep secret, so she had reluctantly revealed her parentage to the Order, and they had been very kind about it, and barely mentioned it at all. When it was mentioned it was discretely, at least.

"Well, we'll just have to keep trying. Is it safe, do you think, to tell them that we have Harry?" Legacy asked the table. For some reason, Legacy was usually the one who did the most speaking at the meetings, save for whomever might be reporting, or if Dumbledore was there.

"I don't think so. Not for a while, maybe after the hearing." Mad-Eye growled.

"I hate to admit it, but for once I agree with the old man." Tonks said. "We can't risk that so soon after retrieval." There were nods around the table.

"All right, then we'll not share that piece of information yet. Is there anything else that anyone can think of?" No one said anything, and Legacy sighed.

"I'm sorry, Severus. It looks like we've got nothing for you tonight."

"There's not information on either end, to be honest, and if I show up with too much information they would likely get suspicious."

"But they might think that you've outlived your usefulness if you never have anything." Legacy said softly. They quickly wrapped up the meeting after that, and most everyone filed out the door back upstairs. Molly went to get her children, Harry and Hermione so that they could all have dinner. There was a loud crash as Tonks tripped over the troll's foot umbrella stand in the main hall again, causing the portraits to wake up. Legacy sighed and walked towards Walburga Black's portrait. Legacy was the only one in the entire house who could make her stop screeching, and the others took advantage of that.

"_Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers –" _ The woman cut off when she caught sight of Legacy. "My dear Bella, how do you stand this?" Legacy painted a smile on her face as she reached up to close the canvas.

"Just like this, dear mother." Legacy said, drawing the canvas over the portrait.

"That's my favourite part, though." Sirius mock-pouted behind her.

"Go greet your godson." Legacy said, laughing.

"Who was that?" Harry asked, standing beside her.

"Ah, I see you've met my mother." Sirius said, and he took Harry down to the kitchen. Legacy examined the canvas for a moment more before following them. Bill and Arthur were still at the table when she arrived, but Molly sent them packing. Legacy smiled, shaking her head, then went to help Molly with dinner. Mundungus was apologizing for bailing on Harry, then Molly started shrieking at Fred and George. They'd bewitched a large cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of Butterbeer and a heavy wooden breadboard, complete with knife, to hurtle through the air towards the table. Harry, Sirius and Dung dove under the table just in time to avoid injury. Legacy laughed along with Harry and Sirius; as long as no one had been hurt things were funny.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE! THERE WAS NO NEED – I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS – JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY LITTLE THING!" Molly shouted. "None of your brothers caused this sort of trouble! Bill didn't feel the need to Apparate every few feet! Charlie didn't charm everything he met! Percy –" she stopped dead, looking towards Arthur.

"Let's eat." Bill said quickly.

"It looks wonderful, Molly." Remus said, sitting down.

"I've been meaning to tell you, Sirius," Molly said at length, "there's something trapped in the desk in the drawing room…" conversations were springing up all over the table now, and it was dinner as usual. After dinner, and after an argument with Molly, it was decided that Harry be filled in somewhat about the Order and what they'd been up to. Voldemort, for the time being, was keeping his head down. They were trying to recruit new members for the Order, but with Fudge spreading lies about Harry, Dumbledore, and even Legacy through the _Daily Prophet_, it was proving difficult. Fudge found it easier to believe that Dumbledore was out to make trouble than to believe that Voldemort had returned. And Legacy couldn't even blame him, at this point. With Voldemort lying low, that was exactly what it looked like. Before they could say much more, Molly decided that the students should all be sent off to bed, and Remus agreed.

Over the next few days, they all worked hard to clean the house. Kreacher wasn't making it any easier; he kept coming in and trying to sneak stuff down to his hidey-hole. He barely listened to Sirius, and only listened slightly better to Legacy; and that was only after he'd heard who her parents were. It sickened her. The night before Harry's hearing, Dumbledore stopped in.

"How has Harry been doing?" Dumbledore asked.

"He's been worried, and I can't say as I blame him." Legacy said. "Just a moment, I'll go get him –"

"No, don't wake him. He needs his sleep." Dumbledore said, and Legacy sat back down.

"Dumbledore, I was hoping I could run an idea past you." Sirius said. "I want to go down with Harry and Arthur in the morning."

"Absolutely not. We can't risk it."

"What if I went in dog form?"

"How would that look, a dog running amok in the Ministry of Magic?"

"I take your point."

"And even if you went under the Glamour Charm, people would wonder what Legacy's fiancé was doing, wandering the Ministry with Harry Potter." Dumbledore turned to Legacy. "Speaking of which, have you decided on anything yet?" Legacy looked at Sirius before answering.

"We want to wait until after Harry's hearing. And we were hoping to have it at the Burrow." Legacy added hopefully, looking at Molly and Arthur.

"That's fine with us, dear." Molly said, and Arthur nodded.

"I was hoping to ask you for a favour about that, too." Sirius said, and Dumbledore turned to him. "I don't want to have to wear a disguise to my own wedding, so I was wondering if you'd be willing to officiate." Legacy could have kicked herself; she couldn't believe she'd not thought of that herself.

"I would be delighted to." Dumbledore said, smiling at the both of them. "It's been a long time since I've been asked, and longer still since I've performed one."

"Thank you, sir." Legacy said. The group chatted for a while longer before Dumbledore had to leave.

Harry's hearing had turned into a full trial by the Wizengamot, and they had been fully prepared to throw the book at Harry. Thanks to Dumbledore and his witness, that hadn't happened, and Harry would be returning to Hogwarts that year. They hurriedly made wedding preparations, so that everyone would be able to attend. On the twenty-fifth of August, the entire Order that could be spared was in attendance at the Burrow. It had dawned clear and warm, for which they were all very grateful. There was barely a cloud in the sky. Legacy had been offered Molly's wedding gown, but she declined, saying that she didn't want to take anything from Ginny. She had purchased a short-sleeved wedding gown in pure white with a short train and pearls sewn into the front. Legacy had been unable to choose a maid of honour, and had explained this to the three women, and they were all touched that she regarded them all so highly. Especially Tonks, who had wept when Legacy told them. Sirius apparently had the same issue with Harry and Remus. The men were all in black dress robes, and Legacy's three women were dressed in red and black and their dresses had small roses in the same colours dotting their dresses. Legacy had wanted them to reflect the arch that Sirius had proposed beneath, and she felt she'd succeeded. Ginny, being the youngest, served as both the flower girl and the ring bearer. She scattered red and black rose petals between the benches and moved to the side before Arthur lead Legacy down the aisle. Legacy had chosen to go barefoot beneath her dress, and the grass and petals tickled her feet. When Arthur handed her to Sirius, Legacy moved her veil aside to peck his cheeks. He sat down beside Molly, and Legacy thought she'd seen a hint of tears in his eyes. She turned to Sirius and smiled broadly. Dumbledore raised his hands before speaking.

"We have gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls. This man and this woman found each other at a time when neither was looking. They helped each other through dark times, and they stand here now, ready to promise their lives to each other." Dumbledore turned to Sirius, who began to speak.

"I'm horrible at making speeches, so I wrote this one down." Sirius said, causing their small audience to laugh. He reached into his pocket to retrieve a small parchment and began to read, looking up at Legacy after each sentence. "Legacy, you saved me from myself. You helped me to turn from a man desperate for vengeance to a man willing to live again. You've been by my side first as a friend, then as a partner, and now as the woman I am marrying. I vow that I will hold you up through life's worst storms, to be your protector and shelter. I believe that we were meant for each other, like the stars are made for the night sky, and that we will do great things together." Sirius put the parchment back into his pocket and cleared his throat. "I love you, Legacy. Forever and always." Legacy had tears running down her face and a bright smile graced her lips.

"Sirius, if someone had told me the day we met that I'd be standing here today, I would have laughed at them. We were at odds with each other at first, but we grew used to each other. You didn't shy away from me when you learned my darkest secrets. You've been there for me, supporting me. I'd never have gotten this far if it weren't for you. I vow to have your back when it matters most, to fight at your side when you need me, and to build a better future for our children with you. I love you, Sirius. Now and forever." Sirius' hands gripped hers tightly, and she squeezed back. Ginny handed Sirius her ring and he put the slim golden band on her finger. She'd removed her other rings that morning, and they were tucked away at Grimmauld Place. Legacy was handed the identical ring and she slid it onto his finger. Sirius lifted her veil and she could see the tears on his face.

"Then I declare you bonded for life." Sirius kissed her gently, and there were cheers and whistles and applause. They turned towards the audience and walked towards a tent that had been set up for the dance and the reception. Legacy couldn't stop smiling. She was married at long last to the man she loved. Sirius led her to the dance floor, and the strains of a tango began.

"Someone must have remembered our performance at the Yule Ball." Sirius murmured into her ear. Legacy laughed.

"Do be careful, husband; I didn't wear any shoes today." He smiled at her.

"Why would you do such a silly thing as that, Mrs Black?"

"I wanted to feel the grass beneath my feet. And I detest shoes." She said, making a disgusted face. Sirius laughed.

"Then I needn't worry about the Black fortune being squandered on silly things like shoes and purses." Sirius swept her around the floor, and Legacy felt as if it was all a dream.

"Pinch me." She whispered, and Sirius raised a brow. "I need to make sure this isn't a dream." He laughed, lowering his head to hers and kissed her, biting her lip.

"Was that better than a pinch?" He teased.

"Much better." Legacy assured him. The song ended, and Legacy pulled Arthur to the floor. "Come on, the father-daughter dance is always second." She teased him, and he relented. This song was slower and less intricate than the one she'd just finished. "Arthur, please watch your step." Legacy said after he's stepped on her twice. "I'm not wearing shoes." He frowned, concentrating, and watched their feet. After the dance, Remus called for attention.

"Harry and I have debated, and I am to speak first." He cleared his throat before beginning. "Sirius and I went to school together, and I must honestly admit that I never expected him to marry. I met Legacy during her sixth year at Hogwarts. I saw a brave, kind-hearted young woman who would go to the ends of the world for the people she cared about. She actually Stunned Snape in protection of Sirius." The audience laughed and Legacy blushed, relieved that the man wasn't in attendance. That was the one person that Sirius had outright refused to invite, and Legacy had accepted it. Remus held up his glass in their direction. "I am extremely happy for the both of you, and wish you happiness in the years to come." Everyone raised their glasses and toasted them. Harry stood next.

"When I met Legacy, I was in my first year at Hogwarts. She was always kind to us and even the younger students. She was always willing to help us out. My second year, she helped me save Ginny. My third year, she showed me how I was wrong when it came to Sirius. Just this last year, she helped me far more than was necessary. More than was actually allowed, I think. I've never doubted her courage. She's always been strong in the face of danger. I haven't known Sirius for as long, but I've already seen the level of dedication he has for her, and I congratulate you both. You're very lucky to have found each other." They were toasted again, and Tonks stood.

"I don't rightly know why Legacy made me one of her bridesmaids. I'm not saying I don't appreciate it, mind you, don't think that. I've known them both for a little over a month now, and all I have two things to say. I think it's wonderfully romantic how you met and fell in love, and get a room!" She smiled and raised her glass before sitting down.

"If we're being toasted by everyone, we're going to have to refill our glasses." Sirius whispered, and Legacy giggled. Hermione stood next.

"Ginny would like me to say a few words for her as well; she says she's never liked public speaking. I've known you both just as long as Harry has, and I'd like you to know, Legacy, that I consider you as a sister. The both of us do. You've always been there if we've had school problems, or boy problems, or if we just wanted to talk. And Sirius? You make sure you treat her right. She's got a big family, and we're just as protective of her as she is of us." Hermione sat down, and Dumbledore stood.

"I've known both Sirius and Legacy since they came to Hogwarts. Sirius was a bit of a rascal, always getting into trouble. Very smart, though. Legacy always had a thirst for knowledge. I don't know how many of you know this, but they are both unregistered Animagi. Legacy was the youngest ever, achieving her form in her fourth year at Hogwarts. She is also a talented Occlumens." Legacy saw heads turn towards them and she blushed. "During the second task of the Triwizard tournament, each of the Champions had someone taken from them. Sirius was taken from Legacy. When she returned with him, she was... less than pleased. She stormed towards me, demanding to know what I had been thinking, and Ludo Bagman told her it had been his idea to take him. Her exact words were, and I quote, ' If one of you Ministry people so much as looks at him funny ever again, I'll tear your throat out.' I've never seen a man get that pale before." Amidst the laughter, Dumbledore turned to face them. "Sirius, you have beside you a woman worthy of admiration and respect. Legacy, you have beside you a man that is completely and utterly devoted to you. I wish you both a happy and lengthy marriage together." He raised his glass to toast them, and the feast began. The dance floor was opened up to everyone, and some people were dancing. Fred and George had both come separately to ask Sirius if she could dance, and he laughed.

"You want to dance with her? She's right there! Ask her yourselves." Legacy had agreed to both of them, and that emboldened others to ask. Ron had asked her, and so had Remus. The one that had surprised her the most had been Dumbledore. He was a good dancer, she noticed.

"You have seen the news recently, I trust?" He asked, and Legacy nodded

"At least I will be out of the eyes of the public. You and Harry, on the other hand..." Legacy sighed. "How can they be so blind?"

"Fudge is scared, and grasping at straws. Unfortunately, until Voldemort makes a move, we haven't much say in the matter. Matters are only going to worsen as the year goes on. Fudge has appointed a woman from the Ministry to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Legacy started.

"I didn't know he could do that." She admitted.

"Things have changed, apparently." The song ended, and Dumbledore bowed slightly. "Cherish these moments. We cannot tell how often we may have them." Dumbledore walked away and Tonks came rushing over.

"I want a dance with the lady of the hour too." She said, and Legacy laughed. "Come on, I'll even play the man." Legacy agreed, and Tonks took the lead. "So, you two can tango across the dance floor, but can you do it horizontally?" Tonks teased, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"I know that I'm missing something, I just don't know what it is." Legacy admitted, and Tonks rolled her eyes.

"You know! Have you knocked boots?" Legacy raised a brow, still not catching on. "Has he dipped his wick? Sheathed his wand?" Tonks growled at Legacy's continued confusion. "I'll speak plainly. Have you two had sex yet?"

"Oh!" Legacy exclaimed, turning scarlet, and Tonks cackled.

"A virgin on the wedding night, not bad. But you two have been sharing a room, haven't you?"

"Yes, but we've usually been cleaning all day and go right to sleep because we're physically exhausted." Legacy explained, still blushing.

"I guess, it does require a bit of stamina." Tonks teased. The song ended, and Tonks stepped back. "I'll leave you to your husband, darlin'." Tonks winked and walked away. Legacy hurried over to Sirius, and he looked up at her.

"You don't usually turn that red. What did she have to say?" Sirius asked her.

"She... she asked if we had... you know..." Legacy stammered, at a loss for words. "She was teasing me about being a virgin." She finally whispered. Sirius looked over at Tonks. "It's all right, it just wasn't something I'd expected." Legacy said. Sirius reached for her hand.

"If you're sure..." Sirius said, and Legacy nodded.

"Yes, yes I'm sure. No need to make a big deal out of it."

"I don't think I've ever seen you nervous before." Sirius laughed. Legacy stuck her tongue out at him, making him laugh more. The afternoon sped by, and it was soon time for Legacy and Sirius to leave.

"Don't worry, most of these guys are heading home and the rest of us will stay here." Tonks called out. "We'll be back in the morning. Plenty of time to get down and dirty." Legacy blushed again, and laughter accompanied it. Sirius smiled and took her hand, leading her out of the tent. Once outside, he scooped her into his arms and Apparated to Grimmauld Place. He opened the door and carried her over the threshold. Legacy smiled up at him.

"I didn't realize that you were such a romantic." She teased him.

"You haven't even seen the best part." Sirius carried her up to the third floor where their room was and bade her close her eyes. She did so, and she heard a door open. Sirius set her down and it was a moment before she could open her eyes. When she did, she gasped. A brand-new king-size bed had been purchased and put together, and there were rose petals scattered over the bed and around the room. The room was lit by candle light, the candles in holders along the wall. She turned to Sirius.

"We had to do most of this today while you were getting ready. We barely had it done before it was time to head out." He stepped towards her, closing and locking the door behind him. "Is it too much?"

"Oh, Sirius... this is perfect."

"I'm glad you like it." He smiled and embraced her.

"I can't believe you did all this just for me." Legacy said, and Sirius held her tighter.

"Well, I can. I love you, and I wanted this to be a wonderful day for you." He pressed his lips to hers, and Legacy surrendered to him.

The next morning, Legacy woke feeling happier than she had in a very long time. Sirius was still asleep beside her, and she giggled as she brushed petals out of his hair. He stirred and Legacy stopped, not wanting to wake him. She gently climbed out of the bed and made her way to the attached bathroom, pulling petals out of her own hair. She returned to the bedroom, and Sirius was just opening his eyes.

"Good morning, husband." Legacy purred, settling back onto the bed.

"You're in a good mood this morning, wife." He sat up and pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

"I'm just re-realizing that I'm married to the most thoughtful man in the world." Legacy smiled. "You know, you're rather beautiful when you sleep."

"No, I'm handsome. Only women are beautiful." Sirius corrected her.

"I'll call you beautiful if I want to." She teased him. She stood again, and Sirius wolf-whistled at her. Legacy blushed as she got dressed. Sirius eventually climbed out of the bed and got dressed as Legacy made up the bed. They walked down the stairs to the kitchen hand-in-hand.

"Oh, you are just too cute!" Tonks said as they entered the kitchen. "Look at her! She's positively glowing!" Legacy's blush returned as she sat at the table. "Should we be expecting any baby Blacks running around anytime soon?" Tonks asked, and Legacy choked on her drink.

"Leave them be, Tonks. They haven't even been married a day yet." Remus said, and Tonks waved a hand.

"Fine, be a spoilsport." Tonks returned to her breakfast, for which Legacy was extremely grateful.

"Where's Harry and all them?" Sirius asked Molly.

"They're up packing. Their Hogwarts letters came in this morning, and they're looking over those, too."

"What, mine didn't – whoops." Legacy blushed again. "I forgot I'm not going back."

"Nothing wrong with that, Legacy." Sirius said. "It happens to everyone." Ron and Hermione had made Prefect, and Molly was over the moon about it. She threw a party that evening for them, and most of the members showed up. Mad-Eye was showing Harry something over in the corner, and Legacy was curious, but she waited.

"Black!" Mad-Eye shouted, and Sirius and Legacy both looked. "Not you, the other one!" he growled at Legacy, and she laughed.

"I told you to use first names, didn't I?" Legacy teased, and he ignored her. Sirius walked over to take a look at what Mad-Eye was holding.

"I didn't know any of these were still running around." Sirius said, looking down at it.

"I found in by accident in my trunk the other day, looking for my spare Invisibility Cloak."

"Ok, I'll bite. What is this mysterious object?" Legacy asked, and Mad-Eye looked at her like she'd gone crazy.

"If you don't know what an Invisibility Cloak is –"

"No, that thing you've got there." Legacy gestured. "What's that?"

"This is a picture we took with all the original members of the Order." Sirius said quietly. "There's a lot of people in this picture who should be standing in this room with us." Legacy looked down at the picture and didn't recognize most of the people, but she recognized James and Lily Potter immediately.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, taking Sirius' hand.

"You've got nothing to apologize for."

"I know, but this can't be easy for you. Seeing this, and everything else that's been going on."

"There's been some good parts to everything." Mad-Eye took the picture to show everyone else, and Legacy looked around the room, taking in all the smiling faces.

"Maybe we should do another one… when everyone's here. We don't know if we're all going to come out of this, and it would be nice to have something to remind us." Legacy shrugged. "Something for another night." Arthur called for a toast then, and they all raised their glasses.

The next morning was chaotic, to say the least. The students were going back to school, and Mad-Eye was waiting on Sturgis Podmore.

"We need him, or we won't have enough for the guard." He growled.

"I'll come along, then." Legacy offered. Mad-Eye just nodded.

"Molly, get the boy and get moving. Tonks'll be waiting down the road for you." Sirius went with Harry and Molly in dog form, and Molly wasn't very impressed. When they were all at the station, Molly turned to Legacy.

"You've got to keep him in line. Dumbledore doesn't want him running about, and you know that."

"There's nothing wrong with getting out of the house for an hour, Mum. He's been cooped up in there for ages. Leave him alone." Molly opened her mouth, but Legacy cut her off. "That's enough. We've both said our piece, now let it be." Molly clamped her mouth shut and walked away. Sirius walked over to her, and she scratched the top of his head. "You're happy, aren't you?" She asked, and he barked. "Good. That's what's important." With the students gone, the house was much quieter. Sirius, Legacy and Molly were the only ones home during the day, and Arthur and Bill were there for dinner every night along with a few others. Cleaning had fallen to the Order members, and usually it was Legacy and Sirius doing most of it.

"I don't see why we're the only ones cleaning." Sirius grumbled.

"It's because there isn't much else for either of us to do." Legacy said.

"I can think of better ways to spend our time." Sirius murmured. Legacy had her back turned to him, so she couldn't see the look on his face.

"Oh? There isn't much else _for_ us to do. What did you have in mind?" Sirius slid his arms around her waist and kissed the back of her neck. "This isn't going to help at all, you know." Legacy giggled.

"Bah. They want a clean house, they can do it themselves. I know this spell that will block any noise coming from the bedroom…"

"You're incorrigible." Legacy laughed, but she let Sirius lead her upstairs.

Legacy missed her period in September, but she thought nothing of it. She'd never had an extremely regular period before, so this was nothing to panic over. When she noticed that she was in the bathroom a lot more often, she shrugged it off. She must be drinking more, that was all. When she was nauseous in the mornings, she assumed that it was a reaction to all of the dust in the house. Sirius had noticed her queasiness in the mornings and was concerned. He went to Molly and told her about it, and she told him not to worry about it. Harry's letter, and the other news from and surrounding Hogwarts, pushed this to the back of everyone's minds. Harry had sent a good letter to them, one that wouldn't give away any information. This Umbridge woman was 'nearly as nice as your mum', Harry wrote to Sirius, and also that they were all 'missing our biggest friend'. This Dolores Umbridge was apparently not a nice woman, and Hagrid hadn't returned to the school yet.

"That Maxime woman told us he wasn't hurt, didn't she?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, and that they'd gotten separated in their travels. That's all we know about Hagrid." Legacy confirmed.

"What the hell is Fudge playing at with this thing, too? 'Hogwarts High Inquisitor'." Sirius scoffed. "This is just idiotic. He's letting his fear control him, is all he's doing." Legacy looked down at the _Daily Prophet_ that Arthur had brought from work.

"I doubt Dumbledore's going to be impressed with this." Legacy sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I can't believe that idiot thinks Dumbledore's making an _army_ at Hogwarts."

"Well, they all think that we're idiots." Sirius said.

"That doesn't make this right." Legacy shook her head. "There's nothing we can do about it, I guess." The next morning, Sirius told her what he'd done.

"I know it wasn't the best idea I've ever had, but it was better than a letter."

"I'm not arguing with you, Sirius. I was actually thinking of doing that myself." Legacy said, and Sirius looked surprised.

"Really?"

"Yes. If I'd been seen, it would have actually been safer. But I'm not mad at you." Legacy said, and Sirius relaxed.

"That's good to hear." She smiled at him before putting a hand on her stomach. "Are you all right?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, just not feeling very good." Legacy sighed. "I'll be fine." Sirius frowned.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm very sure. Let's go see what's for breakfast, I'm hungry." Legacy headed down the stairs, leaving Sirius to follow.

One morning in mid-November, Sirius, along with Molly, made Legacy her favourite breakfast. Legacy didn't tell him that the smell was making her feel ill, and she ate it all.

"Thank you, both of you." Legacy leaned back in her chair. "That was very thoughtful of both of you." Molly studied Legacy from over by the sink.

"Legacy," she asked quietly, "when was your last period?"

"In August. I've never had regular periods."

"And you're ill in the morning?"

"Nauseous, but never physically ill."

"Are you sore anywhere?" Legacy looked over at Molly then gestured to her chest. Molly's face split into a large smile. "I think you're pregnant." Both women jumped as Sirius dropped the dishes into the sink with a loud crash. He ran over to Legacy and knelt beside her.

"Mum, are you sure?" Legacy asked, and the other woman laughed.

"I've been pregnant six times, dear. I know the signs. Sirius, move over a minute." She said, walking towards Legacy. Sirius grudgingly moved, but not very far.

"What are you doing?" Sirius asked.

"I'm seeing how far along she is." Molly said, and waved her wand over Legacy's stomach. "You certainly didn't wait very long, did you? By looking at this, it would appear that this one was conceived on the wedding night." Legacy blushed, and Sirius smiled.

"You know me, ever impatient." Sirius said, then he turned to Molly. "What else does that spell do?"

"It will tell you if the babe is healthy, and if you want, once you're further along, even the gender."

"Don't tell us that. I want it to be a surprise." Legacy said, and Sirius agreed.

"Where's all the fun otherwise?" Molly showed both Sirius and Legacy how to perform the spell before she left. Sirius knelt beside her and put his hand on her stomach. "We're going to be parents." He smiled at her.

"I must admit, I'm a little nervous." Legacy said. "This is way different that being Head Girl."

"That's ok, what d'you think we've got Molly here for? She won't let us hurt the kid."

"I am overwhelmed by your confidence in our abilities to raise a child." Legacy teased.

"No, I mean that if we need anything she'd be willing to help out."

"I know that, I just couldn't resist teasing you." Legacy smiled at him. Sirius suddenly leaped up and headed for the door. "Where are you going?" She asked him.

"I'm going to ask that everyone who can stop in tonight, so that we can tell them."

"Don't tell Harry and the others yet, I want to tell them when they come home for Christmas." Sirius smiled broadly before running up the stairs. Tonks, Remus, Mad-Eye, Shacklebolt, Arthur, Bill and some others were there for dinner that evening. Sirius was excited, he kept on leaping out of his chair to greet people at the door.

"Sirius, we all know where the kitchen is." Tonks said after the fourth time. "Just sit your ass down and wait a little while, geez." Legacy laughed as Sirius sat down, a small frown on his face. Molly served supper while they waited; Sirius wanted to make sure as many people were there as possible before making his announcement.

"Sirius, I don't think I've _ever_ seen you this antsy." Remus said. "Is everything all right?"

"More than all right." Sirius checked the door one last time, making sure there were no late arrivals. He reentered the kitchen and stood behind Legacy. "Thank you all for coming to our little get-together. Legacy and I have an important announcement to make." He paused a moment, making sure there was complete silence. "We're having a baby." Tonks let out a squeal of joy.

"_OHMYMERLIN!"_ Tonks ran over to Legacy. "Congratulations! How long have you known? Are you thinking of names yet?" Legacy laughed.

"Thank you. We only found out this morning, there's a long time to go yet before we start thinking of names."

"It's about time we had some _good_ news coming from this place." Mad-Eye growled. "Good on you, Black."

"Mad-Eye is right. It is nice to have good news, with everything else going on." Shacklebolt said, shaking Sirius' hand.

"Congratulations, both of you." Arthur said, smiling. "If you need help, or advice, Molly and I would be more than happy to help."

"Good luck, Sirius." Bill said, laughing. "You're going to need it."

"Why am I going to need it?" Sirius asked him.

"Mum was different for each pregnancy, but she was… difficult at times." Arthur was nodding behind Molly's back.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Sirius said.

"Don't you remember what Lily was like when she was pregnant?" Remus asked. "James was always hiding from her, it seemed."

"He was always hiding from her regardless… that woman had a helluva temper." Sirius said, laughing. "Remember how hard he had to work to even get her to date him? I couldn't see the attraction, myself. Never liked redheads."

"I'll give you that much." Remus said. "Lily was not a girl you wanted to catch on a bad day."

"I don't think there's _any_ girl you want to catch on a bad day." Arthur said, laughing. There were some words of congratulations from the others as well before nearly all of them left. Legacy sat at the table; Sirius had forbade her to help with cleaning up. Tonks had woken up Walburga again, and Remus had gone to shut her up, and was now returning to the kitchen. Legacy smiled as he sat down at the table.

"Looks like you're going to be spoiled rotten." He teased, and Legacy laughed.

"I already am, I'm just not telling everyone."

"I'm very happy for you both. You're going to make wonderful parents." Sirius scoffed from over at the sink.

"Moony, didn't you tell me once that you hoped I'd never reproduce?"

"That was when I was angry, and before you had met Legacy. I'm quite sure that her sanity will compensate greatly for your lack of it."

"I'm glad you think so. Your opinion was really the only one that mattered here tonight." Sirius said. "It's good to know that you think that way of me now."

"Well, we've all done some growing up over the past decade." Remus smiled at Legacy. "Some more than others."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"Nothing derogatory, just something I thought of and found funny."

"Oh? And what might that be?" Legacy asked, crossing her arms.

"You weren't even alive yet when we all left Hogwarts. You were another year after that."

"What's so funny about that?" Legacy frowned. She hadn't thought about that, and it bothered her. Had Sirius thought about that? She looked over at her husband, and he'd stopped washing dishes to look at Remus.

"It just so happens that he never used to like younger women. They were all too naïve for him, he said. And you just happen to be quite a bit younger. I just thought it was funny, that's all." Legacy's brow rose.

"Too naïve." She looked at Sirius. "What, pray tell, makes younger women so 'naïve', dear husband?"

"For the most part, they expect everything to turn out just like it does in story books, they haven't had a chance to experience the real world. I just thought that they were kind of stupid, that's all."

"Stupid?" Legacy asked. "Naïve and stupid."

"Yeah, pretty much. They always complain about things, too. 'Why can't this be like this' kind of thing." Sirius' back was still turned, so he couldn't see that Remus was trying to get him to shut up. "Really annoying, actually."

"Thank you, Sirius. I didn't know you felt that way." Legacy stood. "Thank you, Remus, for stopping by. I think I'll go to bed now." As Legacy left the kitchen she pulled out one of the Extendable Ears she'd bought from Fred. She went to the landing and sent it towards the kitchen door, curious.

"You are in _so_ much trouble, Sirius." Remus said.

"What are you talking about?"

"In front of your wife, who is pregnant with raging hormones, who also happens to be half your age, you just said that younger women are naïve, stupid, whiny and annoying."

"She knows I wasn't talking about her."

"You didn't see the look on her face. She's pissed, Sirius. Weren't you listening?"

"Yeah, she said that she didn't know I felt that… oh shit." Sirius groaned. "Now I think I see why James was always hiding."

"Apparently. Although James was less likely to accidentally insult her, he's been on the receiving end of her hexes too often for that."

"What the hell am I going to do?" Legacy wound up the Extendable Ear after that. She knew that Sirius realized that he'd done something wrong, and that was the important thing. Still, it wouldn't hurt to teach him a lesson. When she got to their room she locked the door before climbing into bed. She woke alone in the bed the next morning. She quickly dressed and opened the door only to find a black, bear-like dog curled up in front of the door. Sirius woke the moment she opened the door, and she stepped around him. He whined at her retreating form, but she ignored him. He must have shifted back, because Legacy heard steps behind her, and the dog's paws wouldn't have made that much noise on the wooden floor. She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, then began making breakfast for two. Sirius sat at the table, watching her. Legacy knew he wanted to speak, to apologize, but she wanted to make sure that he learned a lesson, so she remained silent.

"Good morning." She turned and smiled at Remus, who'd just entered the kitchen. He glanced at Sirius, who shook his head.

"Good morning, Remus. Would you like some breakfast? I'm already starting on ours, so it wouldn't be any trouble."

"That would be appreciated, thank you." Remus joined Sirius at the table, and silence descended on the small room. Legacy quickly glanced at the calendar posted on the wall.

"Remus, it's nearly that time again. Did Severus leave anything for you?" Legacy noticed Sirius wince slightly at her use of the man's first name.

"Ingredients and instructions. The potion doesn't exactly keep well over time."

"If you'd like, I could give it a whirl. Potions was one of my best classes."

"Oh, that isn't necessary-"

"But it is necessary. I don't want to see you hurt yourself. I'll get on that today." She shot a bright smile at him before turning back to the eggs she was cooking. "How do you take your eggs?"

After a very quiet – and awkward on Sirius' behalf – breakfast, Legacy quickly cleaned up and Remus gave her the items for the Wolfsbane Potion.

"Thank you, Legacy. Potion-making has never quite been my cup of tea."

"It's not a problem." She looked at the instructions. "I'll need to be alone for most of this, so I don't get mixed up. This is a difficult potion. Please tell Sirius, won't you?"

"Legacy…"

"I'm not discussing this with you. Thank you, however, for pointing out how much of an idiot he sounded like."

"I'll pass along the message." Remus turned and walked back into the kitchen.

Once she'd made the potion and given it to Remus, Sirius tracked her down.

"You've been avoiding me." He accused.

"I haven't been avoiding anything but cleaning." Legacy said. "I should probably start getting into that again before I'm too big to move."

"Now you're changing the subject."

"No, Sirius, I haven't been avoiding you. If I had I wouldn't have eaten, and our friend wouldn't have his potion, now would he?"

"We haven't said two words to each other all day."

"I've been busy."

"Legacy…"

"If you have something to say, then say it instead of beating around the bush. You know how much that aggravates me." Legacy snapped.

"You have every right to be angry with me. I spoke without thinking about how that would make you feel."

"That doesn't mean you don't think those things, now does it?" Legacy glared up at him. "I sincerely hope that my naivety doesn't bother you, and that I don't annoy you too much." Legacy hadn't realized until that moment exactly how much his words had hurt her. "I'm certain that my stupidity won't upset you, considering that I just brewed a potion that most wizards your age can't, and I didn't think that I whined that much. Maybe I'll just keep my mouth shut from now on." She had tears forming in her eyes and let them spill over.

"I don't think that of you. I never have." Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "You've always been so mature. Sometimes I actually forget that you're so much younger than me. It's not a hard thing to do, I'm probably not the only one who thinks like that. You're always there, willing to lend a hand wherever it's needed, sometimes before it's even asked for. You put others ahead of yourself and do everything within your power to make things better for everyone. And I've actually never heard a word of complaint from you. I'm deeply sorry for what I said, and I want you to know that I've never thought any of those things about you." Sirius took a step towards her, and when she didn't move, he pulled her into his arms.

"I'm sorry. Stupid hormones." Legacy mumbled. Sirius shook his head.

"No, I'm sorry. I was the idiot who wasn't thinking. And besides, it's not just your fault about the hormones. It takes two to tango, right?" Sirius teased, and Legacy laughed.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Mundungus had stopped by, telling them about the plans for Harry to teach the other students defensive magic.

"I think it's a very good idea." Legacy said. "With Voldemort running around, we can't have them sitting around with their thumbs up their asses, so to speak."

"It's not a good idea!" Molly argued. "What if they get expelled? What will this do to their futures?"

"If we don't stop Voldemort, there won't be much of a future to worry about, will there?" Sirius asked.

"No matter what we tell them, they'll do whatever they want, and damn the consequences." Legacy said. "You have to accept that they're not children anymore. They're young adults, and more than capable of making their own decisions." Molly grumbled a while longer, but didn't argue.

"She can't do this!" Sirius raged. "She just can't!"

"She can, and she will. I'm not impressed with it, either." Legacy said, trying to calm him. Harry, Fred and George had all received a life-long ban from Quidditch. "Once this all blows over, it'll be recalled. You'll see."

"That doesn't help in the meantime." Sirius groused.

"At least they've got their defense thing to distract them. Quidditch would definitely help, but that can't be helped at this point."

"You're right, I know you're right, but I hate this. Fudge is getting himself in way too deep. After this, he's not going to have a job anymore."

"I just hope that they put someone better in charge." Legacy sighed and shook her head. "But for now, there's not much we can do."

"I know, and that's the part that I hate the most." Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "There's nothing that we can do, and it's driving me crazy. I saw that blip in the _Prophet_, I know that I can't go out. But I wish that there was more that I could do, y'know?"

"I do know. There's not much that I can do, either." Legacy gestured towards her abdomen.

"But before that, and even now, you can still go out and about. I can't even do that much." Sirius flopped down onto the sofa. "I feel useless."

"It's only for a while longer." Legacy moved to sit beside him and put a hand on his knee. "After Voldemort shows his face, they'll have to clear your name."

"And how long until that happens?"

"I don't know, Sirius. I can't tell the future. All we can do is be patient." Sirius sighed and put his hand over hers.

"I don't know if I could do this without you, Legacy."

"Then I guess I'll just have to make sure that you never will."

Molly was at the Burrow, she was expecting her children and Harry for the Christmas holidays. Legacy was four months pregnant now and was having difficulty sleeping. She was in the drawing room when Phineas Nigellus appeared in one of the paintings.

"Where's the boy? And who the ruddy hell are you?"

"I'm Legacy, and 'the boy' is my husband. He's in bed at the moment, what can I do for you?"

"Arthur Weasley has been injured, and his wife, children, and Harry Potter will be along shortly." The man looked her over for a moment. "You remind me of Bellatrix." He slid out of the painting and was gone. Legacy rushed up the stairs to wake Sirius. The children arrived first. Harry explained the vision he'd had, and the Weasleys all wanted to rush off to the hospital.

"Your father knew what he was getting into and he won't thank you for messing things up for the Order! This is how it is – this is why you're not in the Order – you don't understand – there are things worth dying for!" Sirius shouted.

"Easy for you to say, stuck here!" bellowed Fred. "I don't see you risking your neck!" The little colour remaining in Sirius' face drained from it. He looked for a moment as though he would quite like to hit Fred.

"I know this is difficult, Fred. But we have to at least wait until we hear from Mum. And even if we did go over right away, they probably wouldn't let us in just yet, he's likely in some intensive care ward from the account Harry's given us." Legacy said gently. Fred turned his glare on her before he sat down. The others were not far behind him. Sirius brought up a Butterbeer for everyone, and they waited. Fawkes shortly delivered a note from Molly, and George read it aloud.

"_Dad is still alive. I am setting out for St Mungo's now. Stay where you are. I will send news as soon as I can. Mum."_ George looked around the table. "Still alive… but that makes it sound…" he didn't need to finish the sentence; it was on everyone's minds already. They lapsed into an uneasy silence, speaking only to check the time, or to wonder aloud what was happening, and to reassure each other that if there was bad news, they would know straightaway, because Molly must have long since arrived at St Mungo's. At ten past five, the kitchen door swung open and Molly entered the kitchen. She was extremely pale, but she gave her children a wan smile.

"He's going to be all right. He's sleeping. We can all go and see him later. Bill's sitting with him now; he's going to take the morning off work." Everyone was relieved to hear this.

"So, how about breakfast?" Sirius said, looking around the room. "For… eight? Bacon and eggs, I think, and some tea, and toast." Harry and Legacy leaped up to help immediately. Molly was on no condition to help. Molly hugged Harry, thanking him profusely.

"I don't know what would have happened if it hadn't been for you, Harry. They might not have found Arthur for hours, and then it would have been too late, but thanks to you he's alive and Dumbledore's been able to think up a good cover story for Arthur being where he was, you've no idea what trouble he would have been in otherwise." Molly released him and turned to Sirius. "Thank you… both of you," She added, nodding towards Legacy, "for looking after the children tonight."

"I'm pleased to have been able to help. I hope that you might stay the entire time he's in the hospital; it would make it easier on the lot of you." Sirius said, smiling.

"Oh, Sirius, I'm so grateful… they think he'll be there a little while, and it would be wonderful to be nearer… of course, that might mean we're here for Christmas."

"The more the merrier!" Sirius spoke with such obvious sincerity that Molly beamed. Harry asked to borrow Sirius for a minute, and they stepped into the pantry. Legacy continued making breakfast. When everyone was fed and watered, she ushered them all upstairs and to their beds.

"Is Harry all right?" Legacy asked Sirius once they were alone.

"Yeah, he's just feeling guilty… he saw it through the eyes of the snake and the dream affected him afterwards, too. But he'll be fine. He's just in shock, he needs to sleep and it'll be better."

Legacy went with the others to visit Arthur, Sirius had insisted.

"He's like a father to you, I understand that you want to see him." Legacy was very grateful that he'd been so understanding of it all. The students had very quickly put nearly all of the pieces together – it had been Voldemort's snake, and Arthur had indeed been guarding whatever it was in the Department of Mysteries that Voldemort was after. Molly shooed them out, and Tonks and Mad-Eye came in.

"Any word?" Arthur asked once it was just them.

"They searched the whole area but couldn't find the snake anywhere. It seems to have vanished after attacking you… but You-Know-Who can't have expected a snake to get in, can he?" Tonks asked.

"I reckon he sent it as a lookout." Mad-Eye growled. "Cause he's not having any luck so far, is he? No, I reckon he's trying to get a clearer picture of what he's up against, and if Arthur hadn't been there the beast would have had a lot more time to look around. So, Potter says he saw it all happen?"

"Yes." Molly sounded rather uneasy. "You know, Dumbledore seems almost to have been waiting for Harry to see something like this."

"Yeah, well there's something funny about the Potter kid, we all know that."

"Dumbledore seemed worried about Harry when I spoke to him this morning." Molly whispered.

"Course he's worried. The boy's seeing things from inside You-Know-Who's snake. Obviously, Potter doesn't know what that means, but if You-Know-Who's possessing him, we need to be careful. The boy could give everything away without meaning to."

"I don't think he's being possessed." Legacy said, shaking her head. "When a person is possessed, the possessor _wants_ them to see what's happening… and I don't think he meant for anyone to see what happened last night. I think it was an accident."

"You-Know-Who and accidents don't generally run in the same sentence." Mad-Eye said.

"Whenever Harry's involved they do. When they first met, when they met a few years ago, and just this last summer. There's been a few of them."

"I agree with Legacy." Arthur said. "I wasn't meant to be found. This was some kind of fluke."

"I still think we should be careful." Mad-Eye growled.

"If Dumbledore thinks that precautions should be taken, then there will be. Until then, I see no reason to limit the boy's freedom." Legacy said.

"On your head be it, then." Mad-Eye turned and limped from the room.

Sirius was ecstatic to have company for Christmas. Harry was still hiding out upstairs by the time Hermione came, but she went upstairs with Ron and Ginny and they were all soon back downstairs. With everyone's help, the house was barely recognizable come Christmas. The tarnished chandeliers were no longer hung with cobwebs but with garlands of holly and gold and silver streamers; magical snow glittered in heaps over the threadbare carpets; a great Christmas tree, obtained by Mundungus and decorated with live fairies, blocked Sirius' family tree from view. However, Molly's Christmas started rather poorly. Percy had sent back his jumper, without even bothering to send a note. Legacy went to comfort her, and it was quite successful. Once the students were all sitting down for breakfast, Legacy announced her pregnancy to the lot of them, and they were all very happy for her and Sirius.

"I thought you were just getting fat – I mean…" Ron turned red. "I'm sorry, I'm no good at this rubbish…" Legacy merely laughed and ruffled his hair. Fred and George teased her about her impatience, Ginny and Hermione both asked if they could touch her stomach, and Harry was all smiles. Legacy didn't come along to visit Arthur, her ankles were swelling as a part of her pregnancy, and it made standing and walking for long periods of time painful. When they returned, she saw that the younger four were rather quiet. She was finally able to corner them just before dinner.

"What's wrong? You're all awfully quiet."

"We met Mr and Mrs Longbottom at St Mungo's." Hermione said quietly, and Legacy flinched.

"Ah." Legacy lowered herself into a chair. "How are they?"

"Not very good… Neville and his grandmother were there to see them, too." Ginny shook her head. "I feel so badly for him."

"I understand. But obviously Neville has a reason he wants to hide this."

"I know. I've known for a while, I stuck my head in Dumbledore's Pensieve and saw the trial." Harry said, and Legacy flinched again. "I haven't mentioned it to anyone."

"Please continue to maintain your silence. I don't blame him for wanting to hide it… not from shame, of course, but he wouldn't want students like Malfoy to harass him about it."

"We will." Ron promised, and Legacy smiled.

"Thank you."

The day after the students all returned to school, there was a mass breakout from Azkaban. Most of the names meant nothing to her, but one stuck out from the others. Bellatrix Lestrange. She'd read the news, then promptly dropped the paper and ran to the nearest toilet, voiding the contents of her stomach.

"That idiot…." She mumbled, before retching again. "That _fucking_ idiot let it get this far, and he still thinks that nothing's wrong." She leaned against the wall. "I cannot believe this. This is _bullshit_! Complete and total bullshit." She heard a knock on the door and flushed the toilet before answering it.

"I saw the paper." Sirius said. His mouth was pulled into a thin line, and his face was pale. "Are you all right?" Legacy laughed, then rinsed her mouth. "I guess not."

"They're blaming you." Legacy said. She looked at his reflection in the mirror. "That idiot is blaming you for this."

"I didn't look that far ahead. I'm surprised you did."

"Even if I hadn't, it wouldn't be hard to guess. You're the only person they're admitting escaped from Azkaban, so of course they'd pin it on you." Legacy shook her head. "This is bullshit. Fudge should have listened right from the beginning." Sirius reached out and rubbed her back.

"I know. But the world is full of people just like him."

"I hope I'm there." Sirius frowned, and Legacy explained. "I hope I'm there the day that bastard admits that he was wrong about all of us – you, me, Harry, and Dumbledore."

"You're not the only one." Sirius reached for her arm. "Come on, let's go back downstairs."

Towards the end of February, Arthur came home with a copy of the _Quibbler_ magazine.

"You'll like this." Arthur said, and he tossed it onto the table. Harry's face was on the cover, and it promised details of the night of June twenty-fourth. Legacy flipped it open and scanned the pages quickly, and was relieved to see that he'd omitted the part where Voldemort claimed to be her father. She handed it to Sirius when she was done, and he skimmed it quickly.

"That woman won't be too impressed with this." Sirius said, tossing the magazine back on the table.

"The Ministry's explanation for the breakout wasn't very well covered, and people will be looking for another explanation. Harry's just given it to them, in great detail. Who cares if he's popular at school? This will help immensely."

"I just can't figure out how he got that Skeeter woman to write it." Arthur said. "After all, she was on the warpath a year ago." Legacy looked back down at the magazine, and saw that yes, Rita Skeeter had indeed been the author.

"Don't know, don't care. All that matters is that it's out there, and with her name behind it, people might actually be more willing to believe it." Legacy said. "It's about time we had some decent news for a change."

Legacy was nearing her due date. It was now May, and Legacy was looking forwards to the delivery. She felt large and awkward, and she couldn't see her toes anymore. She was quite ready to get this whole pregnancy over with. Molly had warned that she might go into what was called 'false labour', so when the first contractions came she wasn't worried. When they persisted, however, she grew concerned. She walked around the house, mostly because she didn't know what else to do. When her water broke, however, she knew that this was the real thing.

"Sirius!" She shouted, and her husband appeared at the bottom of the stairs. "Could you please send an owl to Molly? I think I might need her help."

"Is it the baby?" Sirius asked, looking nervous.

"I think so."

"We need to get you to a hospital –"

"I'm not risking you getting discovered just so I can have the baby in a hospital, Sirius!" Legacy shouted, interrupting Sirius. "Please, just send for Molly. I'll be upstairs." Legacy turned and walked back towards their bedroom. Molly wasn't long in coming, and Sirius was hot on her heels.

"How long have you been feeling contractions?" Molly asked, rolling up her sleeves.

"Since about noon." Legacy replied as another tore through her.

"When did your water break?"

"Just before Sirius sent the owl." Legacy replied, and Molly frowned. "You can do this here, right?"

"Of course I can, dear. Just doing mental math." She turned to Sirius. "I need hot water up here, as much as you can." Sirius rushed out of the room and Molly laughed. "I don't really need it, it's just so that the men feel useful." Sirius brought up hot water in every container that he could find lying around the house, and after that there wasn't much else for Molly to send him to do, so he paced the room, shooting worried glances at Legacy every time she had a contraction.

"Sirius, you're making me dizzy. Come sit down." Legacy said, stretching her hand towards him. He took her hand and knelt beside the bed.

"Now comes the messy part." Molly said, and Sirius' face paled.

At eleven pm on May 7, Legacy pushed their child into the world. From her first contraction to delivery, her labor had lasted eleven hours. Molly had cut the umbilical cord and washed the baby before coming back.

"It's a boy." Molly said, then left the room. Legacy smiled down at the baby in her arms. Sirius sat on the bed beside her, and kissed them both.

"We have a son." Sirius laughed.

"It's the father's right to name his son." Legacy teased.

"We never thought of any, did we? I know one thing; it won't be an inherited name." Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "What do you think of James?" He asked hesitantly.

"And a middle name?" Legacy asked.

"You can choose it." Sirius told her, and she laughed.

"What about Remus? Your son, named for your two best friends."

"What about your friends?" Sirius asked.

"I think that they can wait for more children." Legacy laughed, and Sirius' face fell.

"We should think of godparents. With this war, one or both of us could die, and neither of us have any blood relations alive." Legacy nodded.

"Do you think Remus would agree?" She asked.

"I don't think so, not with him being a werewolf. We can always ask, but we should consider others as well." Sirius replied, and Legacy nodded. James started to cry. She began to feed him, and Sirius wrapped his arms around them both. "My wife and son. Two things I never thought I'd have." After James was finished eating, they went downstairs.

"I would like to introduce you all to James Remus Black." Legacy announced to the kitchen. Legacy passed him to Molly first and she and Sirius walked over to Remus.

"Thank you, Sirius." Remus said. There were tears in his eyes.

"You actually have Legacy to thank for that. It was her idea."

"We have something we'd like to ask you." Legacy said, and Remus looked at her. "We would like you to be his godfather." Remus slumped into his chair, overwhelmed.

"I... I don't know what to say. I don't know... my condition, and all..."

"Don't worry, I'll help with the little tyke if it comes to that." Tonks said, looking around the room. "Everyone will." Legacy smiled at the woman, who was sitting and snuggling James.

"Well, then I agree." Remus said, smiling. Legacy embraced him.

"Thank you, Remus." James made a round with everyone before being returned to his mother. "I don't know about anyone else, but I'm going to bed."

"You spent all day in bed!" Sirius teased her.

"I sure as hell wasn't resting, that's for sure."

James' birth was the only good news over the next month. Harry's defense group had been discovered, and Dumbledore had taken all the blame so as to prevent any repercussions falling on the students. No one knew where he was, not even the Order. Umbridge had been made the new headmistress, completely going over Minerva's head.

"I bet she liked that." Legacy said, looking down at the paper. "She's always been one of Dumbledore's most loyal friends." James was sleeping in her arms, and she was sitting in the kitchen with the rest of the Order.

"Fudge has bitten off more than he can chew with this one, I think." Sirius said.

"It's lucky I was there. I was able to modify the girl's memory before she could give away too much information." Shacklebolt said in his slow, deep voice.

"'Absolute power corrupts absolutely.'" Legacy quoted. Some of the others gave her odd looks, and she waved a hand. "It's a Muggle saying, but I think it applies here."

"The students faced no consequences?" Molly asked.

"No, Dumbledore convinced Fudge that it was all his idea, and that evening was supposed to be the first meeting." Shacklebolt replied, and Molly heaved a sigh of relief.

"But nobody knows where he went? He hasn't been in contact with anyone?" Legacy asked, looking around the table. Her question was met with a chorus of 'no's'. "Then what are we supposed to do in the meantime?"

"The same thing we've been doing all along. Keeping our heads down as best we can until we're needed. Our parameters haven't changed." Mad-Eye growled.

"What I meant," Legacy said slowly, "was whether or not we should go looking for him."

"I don't know I that's necessary, Legacy." Arthur said. "Dumbledore's a brilliant wizard, I'm sure he can look after himself. And if he'd wanted us to know he would've told us, right?"

"And besides, how are we going to go looking for him?" Remus asked. "We can't exactly walk up and down the street asking people if they've seen him or not."

"I guess not." Legacy said reluctantly. They wrapped up the meeting shortly afterwards.

Towards the end of May, Fred and George showed up on the doorstep.

"Mum is going to be _pissed_ at you two." Legacy said.

"Aw, she'll get over – is that a baby?" Fred asked, pointing at Legacy's arms.

"That's my son, James."

"I'd forgotten how tiny babies are." George said, peering down at the boy.

"You can hold him, if you'd like." At George's horrified look, Legacy laughed. "You're not going to drop him, even Tonks hasn't done that yet." George sat down before he would accept James. "So, not that I'm not glad to see you, but why are you two here?"

"We turned a hallway into a swamp, essentially." Fred said.

"And we figured we were probably going to get expelled for it in the end anyway, so we figured we'd beat her to the punch." George finished, smiling broadly. Legacy laughed, shaking her head.

"So where are you going to go?"

"We've got ourselves a premises in Diagon Alley now – Weasley's Wizard Wheezes." George replied proudly.

"And it's all thanks to you and Harry." Fred said, smiling. "Come on, George; lemme see him." George waited for Fred to sit down before handing James across the table. "You weren't kidding, he's tiny."

"He's only a few weeks old." Legacy said. "He'll get bigger." The kitchen door opened, and Legacy smiled as Sirius walked in.

"End-of-term early this year, boys?" Sirius asked, a broad grin on his face. Fred and George recounted everything that had happened since Dumbledore had left, thoroughly entertaining the both of them.

"I'm glad that someone decided to stand up to her, though." Legacy said. "From everything we've heard, she's a colossal bitch."

"That's an understatement." George muttered darkly. "You know what she makes kids do in detentions?" Legacy shook her head. "They write lines."

"That doesn't sound too bad." Sirius commented, and Fred laughed bitterly.

"You haven't heard the best part yet. She gives them a special quill, see, and no ink. It's bewitched. Instead of ink, it uses blood. _Your_ blood. And it writes the message on the back of your hand."

"That's disgusting!" Legacy cried.

"WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?"

Legacy and Sirius were in the drawing room one afternoon in mid-June when they heard the door to Grimmauld Place bang against the wall.

"I wonder who that could be?" Sirius asked. Legacy shrugged and stood, walking towards the door. She could hear footsteps on the stairs and the person who appeared was the last one she'd expected to see.

"Where is Black?" Snape demanded.

"He's upstairs in the drawing room, why?" Legacy asked.

"Potter was caught in Umbridge's office earlier this afternoon, ranting about how the Dark Lord had Black at the Department of Mysteries. Potter, Weasley, Granger and a few other students left the school to find him."

"Sirius, we have to go!" Legacy shouted. "Molly, where are you?" Sirius stepped into the hallway and scowled when he saw Snape. "There's no time for that, Harry thinks you're with Voldemort at the Ministry, and they've already left to find you there." Sirius' face paled.

"Why would he think that?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter, it's a trap, and we have to go. Severus, rally the Order. Anyone who can be spared needs to get their asses in gear." By this time, Molly had appeared, and Legacy pressed James into her arms. "We have to go, and I need you to take care of James for a while."

"You're not going, Legacy." Sirius growled.

"If I'm not going, then neither are you!" Legacy shouted. "This is just as important to me as it is to you. I'm going, and you can't stop me." She saw Snape still standing on the stairs. "Get moving!" She shouted at him.

Just under an hour later, Sirius, Legacy, Remus, Tonks, Mad-Eye and Shacklebolt were ready to head out. Snape had needed to return to the school. By the time they got into the Department of Mysteries, Legacy could hear screams. She pushed ahead of the others and threw open the door in front of her. Neville was lying on the floor, but he wasn't screaming any longer.

"That was just a taster!" A woman screamed below them. With a shudder, she recognized Bellatrix. "Now, Potter, either give us the prophecy, or watch your friend die the hard way!" Legacy cast a Stunning Spell at Bellatrix, who noticed it just in time to step aside. Legacy ran down the stairs to her left towards where Harry and Neville lay amongst the Death Eaters.

"Are you two all right? Where are the others?" Legacy said, and Harry looked around.

"I don't know. They were just over there –" a spell cratered the ground beside them, and Legacy pushed the two of them in the direction Harry had been looking in. "Go get the others! Now!" Harry and Neville ran off, and Legacy turned her attention back to the battle surrounding her. Sirius was facing off with one of the masked Death Eaters, and Legacy looked for Bellatrix. She was standing behind Sirius with her wand raised. Legacy cast another Stunning Spell at her, and the woman turned to face her, a snarl on her lips. When their eyes met, Bellatrix's snarl fell from her lips.

"Legacy?" She cast another spell at Bellatrix. "Why do you fight me?"

"_Sectumsempra!"_ Legacy shouted, and Bellatrix fell to the ground, bleeding from the slashes Legacy had inflicted with her curse.

"You want to play, do you?" Bellatrix cackled, casting a spell at Legacy. "Let us play, then!" Legacy quickly cast a Shield Charm, then backed into something. She cast a quick glance over her shoulder and saw that she'd bumped into Sirius.

"Where's Harry?" Sirius asked.

"I sent him after the others, and they should be leaving soon." Legacy cast another spell at Bellatrix, who quickly blocked it. "Damn, she's not going to go down easily, is she?"

"So I take it the family reunion isn't going over very well?" Sirius said dryly.

"No, not at all. If it makes you feel any better, just remember that she's your cousin _and_ your mother-in-law."

"I'd forgotten about that last bit." Sirius said, groaning. "Why'd you have to go and remind me of that?" Legacy was too busy blocking an attack to respond.

"DUMBLEDORE!" Neville shouted, and Legacy saw Bellatrix look upwards before a grimace of disgust twisted her features.

"Is he actually up there?" Legacy asked.

"Yes! He's here, Legacy, he's here!" Sirius whooped. Bellatrix turned and fled down a corridor, and Legacy turned to Sirius. "Are you hurt?"

"No, are you?"

"No, I'm fine. Let's go check on the others." Legacy looked around the room they were standing in. Most of the remaining Death Eaters were grouped in the middle of the room, seemingly bound by invisible ropes. Mad-Eye was crawling over towards where Tonks was lying on the ground and was trying to revive her. Legacy couldn't see Harry or Dumbledore anywhere, or any of the other students. She walked across to the other room where she found Ginny lying on the floor next to an unconscious Hermione.

"Legacy? When did you get here?" Ginny asked.

"Are either of you hurt?" Legacy asked.

"I think I've got a broken ankle, and Hermione got hit with a curse, and she hasn't woken up since." Legacy quickly healed Ginny's ankle and stepped towards Hermione.

"I haven't seen anything like this before. Do you know what curse it was?"

"No, but there was a purpley-blue flame on her chest before she fell over."

"There's nothing I can do for her." Legacy checked for a pulse and found it, much to her relief. "She's alive, at least. Where are the others?"

"I think Ron's in the next room with the brains, and Harry and Dumbledore bolted down the hall a minute ago."

"Here, let's get Hermione into the other room. Maybe someone else has seen this before." Legacy and Ginny carried Hermione back into the main room, and then Legacy went off in search of Ron. He had some odd-looking marks on his chest and arms, and had been hit with a Confundus Charm. Legacy healed his wounds, but the Confundus Charm needed to wear off on its own. Neville had a broken nose, but that was easy to patch up. She still hadn't found Harry and Dumbledore yet. More people burst into the room not long afterwards, and Legacy positioned herself between them and her husband. The new people seemed to hardly notice anyone but the Death Eaters standing in the middle of the room. Legacy took Sirius' hand, and they made their way out to the main part of the Ministry, where Dumbledore was talking to Fudge.

"That's Sirius Black! Get him!" Someone shouted.

"Over my dead body!" Legacy shouted, and raised her wand over her head.

"Please, Cornelius, call off your men." Dumbledore asked. "Sirius Black is innocent."

"And what makes you so sure of that?" Fudge snapped.

"Maybe if you had done a proper trial in the first place, you would have seen that he doesn't have a Dark Mark!" Legacy snapped. "But no, you were all too happy to place blame on the first scapegoat that appeared, weren't you?"

"You again." Fudge said irritably.

"Legacy, you should reconsider your stance." Percy said. "You're protecting a dangerous criminal –"

"He's _not_ a criminal, Percy. If you hadn't let your pride and ambition blind you to the facts, you would have seen that by now." Percy flinched, and Legacy was glad to see it.

"Cornelius, I told you the story of Black two years ago. Surely you remember it." Dumbledore said. "Sirius has fought against the Death Eaters. In fact, if you asked them, they would likely tell you that he has never served Voldemort." Fudge winced when Dumbledore said the name, then eyed Sirius. "You disbelieved me once before, and it didn't help matters, did it?" Dumbledore added quietly.

"Fine, just… get him out of here." Fudge said, waving a hand. Legacy began to lead Sirius away, but she heard someone calling her name. She turned and saw that it was Percy.

"I'd like to talk for a moment." Percy glared at Sirius. "Privately, if I may."

"I'll be in the other room." Sirius murmured before walking away.

"What do you want?" Legacy asked brusquely.

"Even if his name is cleared –"

"You mean when."

"– he'll still have that reputation hanging over his head." Percy continued as though she'd not spoken. "I don't know if it's a good idea to throw your lot in with his type."

"I stopped caring about what you thought the day you turned your back on our family." Legacy said. "And I'm not leaving him."

"You wouldn't be _leaving_ him, per say, just… distancing yourself."

"I'm not doing anything of the sort."

"Can't you see how damaging this could be to any career you take?"

"Can't you see that I don't care? I love him, Percy." He winced slightly. "And it would be leaving him. We were married last August, and our son is at home, waiting for us."

"You're married to Sirius Black." Percy said, and Legacy nodded. "And you have a son with him."

"Yes. If you weren't such an idiot, you would have known all this already."

"I don't see that calling names is necessary, Legacy."

"I don't see how making your mother cry her eyes out on Christmas was necessary. I don't see how putting your career ahead of your family was necessary. I'm going home. Goodbye, Mr Weasley."

Umbridge had been sacked, and the Educational Decrees that had been imposed throughout the year were rescinded, along with any and all decisions that she had put into place. Harry's broom was returned to him, and he was allowed to play Quidditch again, as were Fred and George. Hermione had been restored to health, thanks to Madam Pomfrey's expertise. Legacy had done what she'd been able to for Ron, but she hadn't been able to do much for the scarring, although the school nurse seemed to be taking care of that. Sirius' name had been cleared, and there was a piece in the _Daily Prophet_ declaring his innocence.

"It's somewhat odd, knowing that I won't have to hide any longer." Sirius said. They had returned to Grimmauld Place, and were sitting in the drawing room.

"I like that fact." Legacy said, smiling at him.

"I'm not saying that I don't like it, I'm just saying that it's odd. Odd, but refreshing. No more disguises unless absolutely necessary." James was wriggling in his father's arms. "I think he might be hungry again."

"Again? Merlin's beard, this boy eats." Legacy took James from Sirius and began to nurse him.

"I had an idea that I wanted to run by you." Sirius said slowly.

"What's that?"

"Well, now that I don't have to hide anymore, I was thinking that we might go and purchase a house together. I don't think that this," he waved an arm around the room, "is an entirely appropriate place to raise a child."

"Are you sure? I mean, I know that you don't exactly have the best memories from this place, but this is one of the safest places to live beyond Hogwarts."

"I've been thinking about doing this for a while, actually, I was just waiting for a good time to bring up the idea."

"Then why did you wait for so long?"

"I didn't think that you would agree without my name being cleared."

"I would have agreed, I might have just cautioned you to wait a bit longer."

"So is that you agreeing?" Sirius asked hopefully.

"Yes, it is." Legacy said, and Sirius smiled broadly.

"Good! I've already been looking." Sirius reached into a drawer on the writing desk and pulled out a Muggle newspaper. "Here, look at this one…" They spent most of the afternoon looking at likely houses, and Legacy was content.


	11. Year nine

Legacy and Sirius had finally purchased their own home, just outside of London. They had arranged to have everything delivered and set up, and were at the Burrow for the summer. Bill's fiancée, Fleur Delacour, was also there, and Legacy seemed to be the only woman who actually got along with her. Ginny and Hermione had taken to calling her 'Phlegm' behind her back. Fleur was delighted with 'leetle James', and made any excuse to spend more time with him. Legacy was in the kitchen helping Molly make dinner one evening while Fleur was off entertaining James, and Molly and Legacy were having a little spat.

"I just think they're rushing into it, is all. They've only known each other a year!"

"Sirius and I only knew each other for a year and a half before he proposed. Not even that long, actually."

"I know what this all is – with You-Know-Who returned and all, people are rushing into things that they'd normally take time to consider. It was the same way last time, people eloping left right and center."

"If I recall correctly, I think that you and Dad did much the same thing." Legacy reminded her.

"Arthur and I were made for each other, so there wasn't much point in putting it off, now was there?"

"They're both adults, Mum. They're more than old enough to make their own decisions. And she's not stupid, she was a champion for the Triwizard Tournament." Molly was unable to make a response, because Fleur stepped into the kitchen just then.

"Legacy, your leetle boy, I think 'e is 'ungry." Legacy took James from the other woman, and the boy was fussing.

"It's very likely. Thank you, Fleur." Legacy smiled brightly at the other woman.

"Eet was no trouble." Fleur looked at Molly before speaking again. "Might I 'ave a word with you in private?"

"Of course, it's no trouble." They walked out of the kitchen, and Legacy looked around. "You haven't seen Sirius, by any chance, have you?"

"I think 'e is with Monsieur Lupin." She said rather uncomfortably. Fleur hadn't quite gotten used to having a werewolf living under the same roof as her yet.

"At least Remus will probably keep him out of trouble." The two girls headed up to Fred and George's old room, where Legacy and Sirius had been sleeping. Fleur waited until Legacy was nursing James before she began to speak.

"I 'ave noticed something while I 'ave been here."

"What's that?"

"I am embarrassed to say zis, it sounds childish, but eet seems like you are zee only woman 'ere 'oo likes me at all, and I was wondering eef zair was something I 'ad done to provoke zis reaction." Fleur blushed.

"I think it's mostly the Veela in you that's making Ginny and Hermione slightly jealous, and since everyone knows about it, there's probably some thoughts that he was… that Bill is rushing into things, being somewhat… 'bewitched' by your appearance." Legacy said, trying to be tactful.

"But zat is not true!" Fleur wailed. "I love Bill!"

"I know that." Legacy said, patting her knee. "But I can't change their minds, and I've tried to."

"I will 'ave to try 'arder, zen." Fleur declared.

"I think that they'll come around in the end, it's just that most of the people here don't know you very well. To be completely honest, I don't even know you that well, but I know enough." James was fussing again, so Legacy finished nursing and began to burp him. "I know that you are an honest woman with a good heart, and I think that Bill made a wonderful decision when he asked you to marry him."

"You are very kind." Fleur said, blushing again.

"If it makes you feel any better, my mother hates Sirius." Legacy said. "They've never gotten along." Fleur had been told who Legacy's mother was. She, Fred and George had been the only new members that year, and Fleur had been the only one who hadn't known, so Legacy had told her. It was only right, seeing as all of the other members had been informed the year before.

"I guess zair is zat." Fleur said, smiling slightly.

"My parents are likely to kill my husband on sight. At least you don't have to worry about that." Legacy reassured the other woman.

"Eet is a bit odd that you refer to zem so openly like zis." Fleur said, shaking her head. "Eef it was me in your place, I would not say anything about eet."

"A good friend told me that you can't let things you are unable to change dictate your life, so I figured it was better to openly acknowledge it than to try and hide it. This way, all of the cards are on the table." Fleur looked confused. "That means that there aren't any secrets, and my willingness to share with the Order may allow them to trust me more. Like Remus." Legacy explained, and Fleur nodded.

"I appreciate you taking zee time to chat about my leetle fears."

"I'm deeply touched that you trust me so much to come to me and be open about your insecurities."

"You are zee only one 'ere zat I know. Ees eet so odd now?"

"Yes, because we barely spoke to each other. The only reason we ever met was because of chance." Legacy peeked out the window. "Mum's probably got supper ready now. I'll go round everyone up, and why don't you go see if Molly needs a hand?" Legacy asked, and Fleur smiled as she stood up.

"Yes, I will go and 'elp."

When Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys went to Diagon Alley, the Blacks stayed at the Burrow with Bill and Fleur. Legacy was very glad to see that Sirius seemed immune to Fleur's Veela charm.

"I 'ope zat our children will be just as well be'aved as leetle James is." Fleur gushed.

"As long as we don't let Fred or George around them very often they will be." Bill said.

"Are you kidding? I'm having them over as often as possible." Sirius said. "Nobody ever gives them a chance because everyone expects them to misbehave." James squawked loudly, changing the subject. Legacy picked him up and went to change his diaper before nursing him and laying him down for a nap. When she returned, Bill and Sirius were exchanging stories about Hogwarts. Fleur was simply nodding at every other sentence, so Legacy spoke to her instead.

"So how old is your sister?" Legacy asked, and Fleur launched into speech. Legacy was regaled with stories of France, Fleur's school and family. Legacy had to interrupt to ask the other girl to speak English again, but it wasn't very often. Legacy had lost track of what time it was, and was startled when Molly opened the door.

"We're all back. Did you enjoy yourselves?" Molly asked.

"I know we did." Legacy said, patting Fleur on the knee.

"I cannot believe zat you let me go on all day." Fleur said.

"You needed it." Legacy stood and looked over at Molly. "Do you need help putting dinner together?"

Molly, Arthur, Sirius and Legacy accompanied the students to King's Cross station. Arthur had gotten cars from the Ministry, and there was even a car seat for James. The Aurors said nothing, but they glared at Sirius from time to time, and didn't speak to him beyond what was necessary.

"I don't know if they'll let you become an Auror, Legacy." Sirius murmured, and she looked at the Aurors.

"I see you've noticed their less-than-friendly reception." Legacy said wryly.

"It's hard not to." Sirius said. "But I'm beginning to doubt whether they'll let you join up, being my wife and all."

"Then it's their loss, isn't it? And there's going to be plenty of time for them to change their minds. I wouldn't start until James was at least two or three years old."

"I don't want you to put off your life on our behalf."

"I seem to recall having a conversation very similar to this one before, don't you?" Legacy asked, and Sirius smiled. "Besides, I don't think that they can really afford to be choosy right now, do you?"

"I guess not, but what if everything comes out? You know," Sirius looked around and dropped his voice to a whisper, "about your parents."

"The Order knows about it, and they don't seem to have a problem trusting me." Legacy said, and Sirius sighed. "Let's not talk about this now. There's always time for it later." Sirius nodded as Harry walked up to them.

"I need to talk to you two and Mr Weasley privately." Harry murmured, and they followed him. Harry told the three of them about how he'd tailed Malfoy. "I think he's replaced his father as a Death Eater." Harry finished, and Arthur frowned.

"I don't think that You-Know-Who would –"

"That's just it, isn't it? We don't know what he would or wouldn't do." Harry said, interrupting Arthur.

"I think it's a viable theory." Legacy said. "He might be having the same trust issues with a certain someone that some of us are, and having a second set of eyes running around wouldn't hurt. If nothing else, this might be punishment for what happened at the Ministry. I don't think that we should discount it just because it seems unlikely."

"I have to agree with Legacy." Sirius said. "We have no idea exactly what he's capable of, so we need to be prepared for the worst, don't we?"

"I guess. I'll go search the manor again, but I don't think we'll find anything." Arthur clapped Harry on the shoulder and walked away. Legacy waited until he was out of earshot before speaking again.

"Use the Marauder's Map. Keep an eye on him." Legacy said. A whistle blew, and Sirius pulled Harry into an embrace.

"Don't forget to write to us." Sirius said, and Harry nodded before running to board the train. "He's got good instincts, that one." He added, and Legacy nodded.

"Let's just hope that those instincts don't get him killed one of these days." She shifted James onto her other hip, then she followed Sirius back to the cars to go home.

Molly tried talking them into staying longer, but Legacy politely refused.

"We need to get our home sorted out. You can come for visits whenever you'd like to, however." Legacy said, and she meant it. Molly and Fleur needed to start getting along. None of the men appeared to notice that Molly disliked the other woman, and the only way that was going to change was if the two of them sat down together and got to know each other, and actually spent time together. So the three of them left, after Legacy also extended the invitation to Bill and Fleur, and went to their home. It was a large, three-story Victorian-style building. It had six bedrooms and five bathrooms, and a wrap-around porch. The master bedroom had an attached bathroom, a balcony, and a walk-in closet. Nearly all of the other bedrooms also had an attached bath. All of the furniture and appliances were brand-new, and they'd had it all delivered. The kitchen was a large room with plenty of counter space and an island in the middle of the room, as well as a sliding door leading onto the porch. The pantry was behind a door in the kitchen with a few steps leading down into it. The dining room boasted a wooden floor and a table large enough to seat twelve, with a chandelier hanging overhead. It had taken a lot of talking on Legacy's part, but she'd finally convinced Sirius to bring it with them from Grimmauld Place. There were no bedrooms on the main floor, they were on the second and third levels. The living room had a large window in it, and enough room for well over a dozen people to sit comfortably. They cast numerous spells on it to help keep it safe – Anti-Muggle spells and the Fidelius Charm among them. Dumbledore had been made the Secret-Keeper for their home, as well. All of the Order members had been let in on the Secret, and there was a small house-warming party with the available members a few days later. That was when Legacy and Sirius heard about Harry's mishap on the Hogwarts Express from Tonks.

"He'd followed Malfoy under his Invisibility Cloak, and he must have been noticed, cause when I found

him he was on the ground with a bloody, broken nose, under his Cloak." Tonks paused for a moment before continuing. "Snape met me at the gate. It was supposed to be Hagrid, but apparently he was busy."

"But Harry's fine, right?" Sirius asked, and Tonks nodded.

"Yes, I healed up his nose and he got up to the castle safely enough. I bet it surprised that Malfoy boy to see him, though."

"That's good." Sirius said, nodding. "By the way, do you know if the Auror's Office is accepting new candidates at the moment?"

"I don't think that they'd take you, even with your name cleared. Bad blood, and all." Tonks shook her head. "I don't know that you'd get a job in the Ministry at all, actually."

"I wasn't asking for myself." Sirius tilted his head towards Legacy.

"I told you that I didn't want to even apply until James was at least a year old." Legacy said.

"I'm just testing the waters. It's good to find out if they'll even take you." Sirius said.

"I don't know that they would. They're looking for people, don't doubt that, but she's the wife of Sirius Black, and the daughter of… well, you know." Tonks flushed slightly.

"We don't have to tell them that part. We can tell them the same story that the rest of the wizarding world knows." Sirius argued.

"I can ask around if you want." Tonks offered. "But I can't promise anything."

"I would appreciate it." Sirius said, smiling.

A few days later, and owl arrived for Legacy from the Ministry.

_Legacy Jones_

_It has come to our attention that you would like to seek employment within the Ministry of Magic as an Auror. If you would like to set up an appointment so that we can evaluate your abilities and acceptability as an Auror, we would be delighted to speak with you. Please send a date and time with this owl. _

_Gawain Robards _

"They used my maiden name." Legacy said, handing the letter to Sirius.

"It must have been a mistake." Sirius placed the letter on the table. "I think that you should do this. I know that you wanted to wait a while longer, but I think that this would be good for you."

"You're right. I do want to wait."

"I can take care of James. We could go back to the Burrow, so that Molly's there all the time." Sirius tapped the parchment with a finger. "We don't know how long this offer will stand." Legacy sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Only if you're sure. And remember, if I do get accepted, I'll likely be working longer hours than even Arthur is right now."

"I am sure. That's why I suggested that we go back to the Burrow. Molly would love to have company that's not Fleur." Legacy grabbed another piece of parchment, a quill and an ink bottle and wrote down an acceptable date and time before sending the owl back.

"Well, let's get ourselves packed up."

Molly was very glad to see them, and was excited for Legacy.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll get it. You did wonderfully on your OWLs." Molly reassured her.

"I never did do my NEWTs, though." Legacy said.

"But you were in the Triwizard Tournament, and faced down You-Know-Who. Harry's the only other person who can say that he did that." Molly said, patting her arm. "Arthur speaks highly of Mr Robards."

"They used my maiden name." Legacy said. "Here, read it." Legacy handed Molly the letter.

"I'm sure it was just a mistake, dear." Molly said.

"I'm not so sure." Fleur came into the kitchen and they changed the subject. When Bill and Arthur came home that night they were both very happy for her as well. When she showed Arthur the letter he frowned slightly at the name, but didn't comment on it. Legacy cornered him later to ask him about it.

"Why do you think they used my maiden name?"

"Well, when you two were married, Sirius was still a wanted criminal. Did you ever send the Ministry a copy of your marriage certificate?" Arthur asked, and Legacy shook her head. "See? That's all it is, just a mistake. Go in a bit early with a copy of it and get that sorted out before you go and see Robards."

"How long do you think it will take?" Legacy asked, and Arthur shrugged.

"It might take a bit longer with yours, so I'd go an hour or so early. And if it's finished faster than you think, then it never hurts to be too early, right?"

Legacy's appointment was at ten in the morning on October seventeenth, and she arrived at nine via Muggle transit. She entered the Atrium and registered her wand and arrival, and was directed to the first Department, for the Minister for Magic and Support Staff to register her marriage. After arriving, she asked a few more questions and was directed to the Junior Undersecretary to the Minister, Percy.

"Damnit. Just what I needed." She sighed and headed to Percy's office. Upon arrival he wasn't there, so she sat down at the desk to wait for him. She waited for ten minutes before he and Rufus Scrimgeour arrived.

"And make sure that we have all the – Weasley, it appears as though you have a visitor." The two men had entered the office and hadn't seen her right away. Percy looked over at her and his face fell slightly.

"Legacy. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Percy said, and Legacy scoffed.

"Let's skip the pleasantries. This isn't exactly how either of us were planning on starting our day."

"Legacy? Legacy Jones? The young woman looking to apply at the Auror's Office?" Scrimgeour said, looking her over. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He offered his hand, and Legacy stood and shook it.

"Thank you, sir. But it's Legacy Black. I actually came down here to sort it out before meeting Mr Robards."

"What's there to sort out?" Scrimgeour asked, and Percy sat behind the desk. Legacy handed Percy her marriage certificate before answering.

"I was married just over a year ago, and I forgot to send this in. I hadn't realized that it was necessary, and only found out when I received the letter from Mr Robards." Percy looked over the certificate and nodded.

"It all appears to be in order, Legacy. I'll get this done right away." He slipped the certificate into a folder. Legacy looked at her watch, and saw that it was nine-thirty.

"I'd love to stay and chat some more, but I have an appointment to keep." Legacy told Scrimgeour, and he smiled.

"Down with Robards? I'll walk with you, there's something I needed to speak with him about anyway." Legacy nodded and stepped out of Percy's office.

"I take it you know Weasley?" he asked, and Legacy nodded. "What's with the cold reception?"

"He broke his mother's heart out of pride, and he refuses to make amends." Legacy said. There were very few people wandering the halls this time of day.

"I hadn't realized that you were married." Scrimgeour said, changing the subject. Legacy reached into her purse and took out a small photo-wallet.

"This is my wedding day." Legacy said, flipping through to the photo. "And this is my son. He was born in May."

"And you are how old?" Scrimgeour asked.

"I just turned nineteen, sir." Legacy said, putting the photos away.

"And what does your husband think of this?"

"It was actually his idea that I apply. He doesn't want me to put my life on hold for his sake." They reached the lift, and Scrimgeour gestured for her to enter first.

"That's very noble of him." He said, entering behind her. He pressed the button for the second floor, and the lift began to move.

"That's what I thought, as well. I hadn't wanted to apply until James was a year old, but he wanted to at least test the waters. That's why he asked Tonks to ask around on my behalf." The lift stopped at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Legacy stepped out of the lift.

"It's down this way." Scrimgeour gestured down the hall, and Legacy stepped in beside him. "Nymphadora Tonks?"

"Yes, sir. I met her after I joined the Order of the Phoenix last summer."

"You and your husband are both members of the Order?"

"Yes, Sirius and I both joined. Sirius was in the original Order as well."

"There were a few questions I wanted to ask you about him, if you don't mind."

"It doesn't look as though I have much of a choice." Legacy said, and stopped to look up at him. "Let's see if I can't save us both some time. No, I don't know how he escaped Azkaban, I've never asked him. Yes, I actively hid him from the Ministry. Yes, I've always known it was him, he was never dishonest with me. I haven't been bewitched in any way, and neither has Dumbledore. Dumbledore trusts him, so that should be enough for you. Does that answer your questions?"

"I understand that Dumbledore trusts him. I've heard all of the evidence that proclaims his innocence, and to be honest, I'm surprised that nobody looked it over better."

"Don't try to butter me up. The Ministry was looking for a scapegoat, and Sirius filled that gap quite nicely. That's why no one looked deeper, and that's why he was thrown into Azkaban without a proper trial."

"Why haven't you ever asked him about his escape from Azkaban? I'm surprised that it wasn't one of the first things you asked him."

"It would have been rude, for starters. And since then, the last thing I've wanted to do was remind him about that place."

"You must have theories."

"If I do have any theories, they will stay theories. And I'll not stand for anyone from the Ministry questioning me, or him. He's been through enough, let him enjoy his family."

"I can't promise anything."

"Then be prepared to suffer the consequences." Legacy said, and started walking again. Scrimgeour walked slightly behind her, and didn't try to engage her in further conversation, for which Legacy was grateful. When they reached Gawain Robards' office, the door was open and the man was sitting behind the desk.

"Oh, do come in, both of you." Robards stood, smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Jones." Before Legacy could correct him, Scrimgeour started speaking.

"I think that she'll do just fine. She's loyal, forthright, and sharp. By the way, she just registered her marriage certificate. Mrs Legacy Black, this is Mr Gawain Robards, Head of the Auror's Office."

"Black, eh?" Robards looked her over. "Well, sit down here, and we'll look over your school records." Legacy sat down in one chair, and the Minister sat in the other. Robards flipped through some papers on his desk. "Outstanding OWLs in nearly every subject, Exceeds Expectations in Herbology. Triwizard Tournament in seventh year, so no NEWTs. But your teachers say that your marks stayed the same throughout your years in school. We all know what happened during the third task, so there's no need to revisit that evening. You were also Head Girl your last year. Your teachers all liked you, they say that you were a pleasure to have in class." Robards reached for another stack of papers. "Dumbledore says that you're a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and that you were here earlier this year, when You-Know-Who was tearing up the Department of Mysteries." Robards dropped the stack and leaned back in his chair. "There anything else you like to add to that?"

"I don't think so. Were there any other questions that you had for me?"

"Not many. Says here you didn't know who your parents were growing up. Care to shed some light on the subject?"

"I was raised in a Muggle orphanage until I turned eleven and had my first year at Hogwarts. Nearly every summer after that has been spent with the Weasleys at their home."

"So who are the Joneses?"

"Jones is a surname given to female orphans by the Muggle government when they have no surname of their own." Legacy informed him. "The orphanage was given two pieces of information – my first name and my birth date."

"All right. Sounds good to me." Robards glanced at another parchment. "Says here that the only male Black still alive is Sirius Black. He's your husband?"

"That's correct. Mr Scrimgeour and I have touched on that subject already."

"That so?" Robards looked over at Scrimgeour, who nodded. "Well, if it's good enough for him then it's good enough for me."

"Are there any other questions?"

"Just one." Robards stood and handed her a folder with a stack of parchments inside. "When can you start?"

"I wasn't expecting this. I'll have to speak with Sirius before I can make any promises, but I would like to start as soon as I can." Robards nodded and reached for a canister on his desk before offering it to her. Legacy looked inside and saw Floo Powder.

"You can call him from here. We can step outside for a moment." Robards stood and left the room with Scrimgeour on his heels. When the door closed, Legacy cast a Muffliato Charm before calling Sirius. Sirius was sitting at the kitchen table, alone.

"Sirius, do you have a moment?" Legacy asked, and laughed as he jumped. He looked around the room before finally noticing her in the fire.

"Hey, how's it going?" He asked, kneeling on the floor.

"Can they hear me on my side at all?" Legacy asked.

"I don't know for sure. Everything's ok, right?" She told him everything that had happened, and he was happy for her. "I think that you should accept it right now, and not worry so much about me."

"It's not just you and me anymore. We have a son now."

"Exactly. And as an Auror, you can do more to protect him than you could as just an ordinary citizen."

"It's three years of training."

"I know that. And besides, we want to space children out, don't we? Have them a few years apart?"

"We haven't ever talked about having more children."

"What, you think we're done after one? I know I still want more."

"You're not the one pushing them out." Legacy said, laughing. "But I want more, too."

"I think that you can do this. You're more than capable of it."

"I just wanted to talk to you before making any decisions, that's all."

"You have my full support, Legacy."

"Thank you. I'll see you tonight." Legacy pulled her head out of the fire and stood. She walked over to the door and knocked before opening it. "Mr Robards, I can start tomorrow if you'd like."

Legacy wasn't the only one in training at the moment. The others were all people that she'd gone to school with. Since Voldemort was on the loose, training was being condensed. Each of them were learning at their own pace, and Legacy quickly outstripped the others. Legacy was enjoying the training, and the feeling of learning again. The topic of her parentage hadn't been raised again, and Tonks, Shacklebolt, and Mad-Eye seemed content to let that knowledge remain private, for which she was very thankful. Legacy heard about the incident with Katie Bell in Hogsmeade and the cursed necklace, and the necklace came through the Auror's Office in the hopes that a cure might be found for Katie. The girl had been very lucky. She'd barely touched it, and that had saved her life. James was six months old and growing fast. Legacy felt guilty about leaving James and Sirius alone, but she consoled herself with the fact that Molly and Fleur were also there. Legacy beat Arthur and Bill home every night, and the two of them were exhausted when they got home, only fulfilling necessities before going to bed. The Aurors had made three 'Death Eater' arrests, and Legacy knew that the men arrested were as far from being Death Eaters as a person could be. She raised this point with Robards, and he told her that the Aurors were 'doing their best'. Legacy was disgusted and wanted to quit right there, but Sirius talked her out of it.

"They'll figure out soon enough that these guys aren't Death Eaters, you'll see." Legacy doubted it. The only thing that she would accomplish by making a nuisance of herself was to get herself fired, but she made sure to raise this point in conversations whenever she could. As it turned out, she didn't get very many chances for conversations with people outside of the Order very often. Once the other trainees had learned that she was married, the men had nearly all stopped talking to her, but the women warmed up to her upon learning that she had a son. However, when it was discovered who her husband was, they nearly all ignored her. She didn't let it bother her. After all, she hadn't had many friends while she was in school, either. Legacy ignored the whispers that stopped when she entered a room, and the icy stares that she received from the other trainees. Sirius stopped by quite often with James, and the three of them would have lunch together.

"I doubt many of these people ever saw today coming." Legacy said, smiling.

"The day that Sirius Black could show his face in public? I agree." They were at a Muggle restaurant, and weren't getting as many odd looks as they would have at the Ministry. Most of the Muggles seemed to have forgotten about Sirius Black and his prison escape, but the man sitting across from Legacy barely resembled that man anymore. There were times when his gaze darkened, and Legacy knew that he was thinking about his time in Azkaban, but those episodes were growing further and further apart as his time out of the prison lengthened.

"That's part of it. But I was also thinking that people never thought that you would ever settle down and start a family." Legacy said. James chose that moment to babble nonsense at his parents, and Legacy smiled. "I think James agrees that you made the right decision here."

"Of course he does. Neither of your men could deny you anything." Sirius said, and he laid his hand over hers. Legacy smiled across the table at him, perfectly content.

Legacy was very glad for Christmas. The trainees had all gotten a few days off, and the Weasleys and Harry were all at the Burrow, as well as Fleur, the Blacks, and several other Order members. It was James' first Christmas, and everyone was determined to spoil him rotten. Remus was attempting to fulfill his godfatherly duties in a responsible way, and Sirius teased him endlessly about it.

"Come on, Moony, lighten up a little." Sirius said, nudging his friend.

"I am trying to fulfill a responsibility here, Padfoot."

"That's our job. Your job is to teach him to live a little." Sirius and Remus didn't get much further into their discussion before Fred and George interrupted them.

"Moony, and Padfoot?" Fred asked quietly.

"If that's true, then who were Wormtail and Prongs?" George asked. A pained look flitted across Sirius' and Remus' faces before they responded.

"Peter Pettigrew." Remus said.

"And James Potter." Sirius added. Fred and George were silent for a moment before begging for the story behind the Marauder's Map. The two men regaled them all with the story, and there was much laughter and a slight amount of sadness. But whenever the silence stretched out too long, Sirius took up the tale once more.

"We graduated Hogwarts together, and we all attended James and Lily's wedding… and you all know the story from there." Remus said, completing the story. The silence lasted only a moment before there was a knock at the door. Molly hurried over to open the door, only to find Percy standing there, with the Minister for Magic standing right behind him.

"We were in the area, you see, and Weasley wanted to stop by and say hello to you all." Scrimgeour said, and Legacy didn't believe it for a moment. Percy looked like he would rather be anywhere but there at that moment, and Fred, George and Ginny appeared as though they were willing to do almost anything to get him out of there. Molly was sobbing and trying to lead Percy further into the house. Scrimgeour was looking around the table at everyone sitting around it. "I'll let you catch up, and maybe one of these young people who are done eating can show me around." He made a show of choosing someone, as though there were people with their hands in the air or something. "How about you? You don't have any more food in front of you." He pointed at Harry, and silence descended around the room. No one pretended to believe that he had failed to recognize Harry. As Harry stood, Sirius made to stand, but Legacy stopped him and shook her head. As Harry and Scrimgeour left and Molly tried to persuade Percy into eating something, Sirius leaned towards Legacy.

"What was that about?" Sirius murmured.

"Do you really think that we would learn the Ministry's intentions with Harry if you'd gone along with them?" Legacy replied quietly. "We'll learn more this way. Trust me. And he's the Minister of Magic, as well as a former Auror. He's not going to let anything happen to Harry on his watch, especially not with all this 'Chosen One' nonsense that's been floating around."

"You're right. It's just that I worry, you know? Now that we can finally spend time with each other legally and all that, I just don't want to let him out of my sight."

"How do you think I feel about you?" Legacy teased him. Before Sirius could reply, Percy's plate of food exploded in his face, throwing bits of food all over him. Percy glared at his siblings but held his tongue, trying to wipe some of the food off his clothes. Not long after that Scrimgeour returned with Harry, then he and Percy took their leave. Fred, George and Ginny immediately launched into an argument over which one of them was responsible for Percy's exploding food. Sirius looked ready to start pumping Harry for information, but Legacy told him to wait. After dinner, Harry and Sirius went into another room to talk, and Legacy helped Molly with the dishes. Molly wasn't speaking much, it had obviously hurt to have Percy in her arms again, but to have him treat her like a stranger. Ginny was sitting at the table entertaining James, and Fleur was trying to help with the dishes, but she was failing rather abysmally. Sirius and Harry came back to the kitchen and rushed over to help.

"Since you ladies helped to make the meal, I think it's only fair that we help clean up." Sirius said, rolling up his sleeves. "You haven't had much chance to socialize. Go on, Harry, Ginny and I can take care of this." Ginny stood up and handed James over to Legacy before taking over from her mother at the sink.

"Are you sure?" Molly asked. Her voice was watery, as though she was fighting tears.

"Of course I'm sure. You need to put your feet up, Molly, you've been on the go all day." Sirius smiled and ushered them out of the room. They went into the living room, where a few guests were still socializing. Fleur went over to Bill, and Molly sat down and took up some knitting. Arthur sat beside her, and they spoke quietly together. Legacy sat beside Remus, who smiled.

"He's bigger every time I see him." Remus said, and Legacy smiled.

"That's because you're never around." Legacy gave her son to his godfather, and James babbled at him.

"Is he actually talking yet?"

"Not that I know, and I'm pretty sure that Sirius would send on owl immediately if something that monumental happened."

"I heard that you started Auror Training." Remus said, and looked from the boy to her. "It's good to see that you're not cooping yourself up in the house."

"It took Sirius a while to talk me into it, though. I hadn't wanted to start for another year or so." Legacy leaned back in her chair. "It's good to see you again, Remus. What have you been up to?"

"Oh, I've been underground. Almost literally."

"What's that mean? You're not on the run from the Ministry, are you?"

"Not yet." Remus said dryly. "No, I've been living among my fellows, my equals."

"You mean werewolves?" Legacy asked, and Remus nodded.

"Most of them are on Voldemort's side already. Dumbledore wanted a spy, and here I am… ready-made." Remus said bitterly, and Legacy put a hand on his arm.

"They're not your equals. I've heard about Fenrir Greyback. You do your best to contribute to society, unlike some. You try harder than most that don't have your… furry little problem."

"That's what James used to call it, too." Remus said, smiling. "People were under the impression that I owned a badly behaved rabbit."

"You know what I mean."

"I have to try harder though, don't I? Dumbledore took a big risk, hiring me on at Hogwarts. Most people wouldn't have given me that chance."

"That's just old prejudices. Anyone who thinks like that isn't worth your time anyway. You're a good wizard, and a good man. Any woman would do good to land someone like you."

"Well, thank you." Remus said, flushing slightly. Silence fell between them for a moment.

"So, how's the werewolf conversion going?" Legacy asked, and Remus shrugged.

"It has been difficult gaining their trust. I bear the unmistakable signs of having tried to live among wizards, you see, whereas they have shunned normal society and live on the margins, stealing – and sometimes killing – to eat. They think that under Voldemort's rule they will have a better life. And it is hard to argue with Greyback out there."

"I don't know much about the man himself, if he can even be called that. He's a Death Eater, and a werewolf."

"He regards it as his mission in life to bite and contaminate as many people as possible; he wants to create enough werewolves to overcome the wizards. Voldemort has promised him prey in return for his services. Greyback specializes in children… bite them young, he says, and raise them away from their parents, raise them to hate normal wizards. Voldemort has threatened to unleash him upon people's sons and daughters; it is a threat that usually produces good results." He paused for a moment before saying, "It was Greyback who bit me. My father had offended him. I did not know, for a very long time, the identity of the werewolf who had attacked me. I even felt pity for him, thinking that he had no control, knowing by then how it felt to transform. But Greyback is not like that. At the full moon he positions himself close to victims, ensuring that he is near enough to strike. He plans it all. And this is the man that Voldemort is using to marshal the werewolves. I cannot pretend that my particular brand of reasoned argument is making much headway against Greyback's insistence that we werewolves deserve blood, that we ought to revenge ourselves on 'normal' people."

"That's disgusting." Legacy said, feeling ill. "How can he think that way? He was one of those 'normal' people once, he had a mother and father once."

"Not much is known about how Greyback came to be a werewolf, actually. He doesn't speak of it. I think that much the same thing happened to him when he was a child, and that might be why he thinks that way that he does."

"I understand that werewolves can be dangerous, but since the creation of the Wolfsbane Potion, that danger has been nearly obliterated. People can be stupid at times."

"Both are true, but you must remember that the Wolfsbane Potion is difficult to create, and many of the ingredients are very expensive. With most werewolves jobless and uneducated, it is nearly impossible for them to ever lay eyes on the potion."

"Sometimes I just hate people. As long as their life and their little world is doing fine, they don't care about the other problems right under their noses."

"Of course. If people don't want to see something, then they won't. Or else they just say that 'things have always been this way, why should I change now?'"

"It's disgusting." Legacy said, shaking her head.

"Well, there's nothing that you can do unless you become the Minister of Magic."

"I don't know if it's even possible for a woman to become the Minister, and with Sirius as my husband, I don't know if they'll ever accept me for that. And if my parentage ever becomes common knowledge, I would likely be ostracized the same way that you are."

"I don't think it's impossible for a woman to become the Minister, but I must admit that I've never heard of it happening." James began squawking, and Legacy reached for him.

"I recognize that sound. He's hungry." Legacy covered her chest with a small blanket before she began nursing her son. Remus stood and stretched, then looked at his watch.

"I should be heading out soon." Remus said.

"Make sure you stop to see Sirius before you leave. He's in the kitchen." Remus nodded. "It was good seeing you, Remus. We'll be here for quite a while, if you ever want to stop by, and you know where our house is, too."

"Good night, Legacy. I'll see you around." Remus left the room.

A few days after New Year, Harry, Ron and Ginny went back to school. The Ministry had arranged a one-off connection to the Floo Network to return students quickly and safely to school. Legacy was at work, as were most of the others, so Sirius, Molly and James were the only ones at the Burrow. Legacy was completing her training faster than any of the others, and it appeared that what normally took three years to complete, she would finish in a year or so, maybe even less. With Legacy, they had decided to forgo the character and aptitude tests, having taken into account how well she'd done during the Triwizard Tournament. She was beginning to trust the Aurors that she hadn't known upon the start of her training, and beginning to let her guard down somewhat. They seemed to accept the fact that she was married to Sirius, and hadn't commented on it, and weren't even pursuing the mystery that was her parentage, to her knowledge. Tonks stopped by once in a while to visit or to have lunch together, and sometimes she came along when Sirius brought James for lunch. Tonks had appeared to be ill nearly all year, since the fight at the Ministry. She'd been having trouble with her Metamorphosing, and she seemed older and much more serious and purposeful. Harry had told them that Snape had said that she had a new Patronus, which meant that something had happened, and Legacy was determined to find out exactly what it was. So one afternoon in February, when the two women were in a near-empty café for lunch, Legacy decided to ask her.

"Tonks, is everything ok? We've all noticed, and Harry mentioned that your Patronus has even changed." Legacy asked, and Tonks sighed.

"Before I answer your question, I want you to tell me something. I want to know how you met Sirius, and how you two fell in love." Legacy put her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together.

"An odd request, but I think I can do that. It's a good thing that I didn't have exams that year, because I would have done poorly." Legacy proceeded to tell Tonks the whole story, with details that she'd not told anyone else. She told Tonks about all the new emotions she'd felt even just after meeting him, and throughout the year. How she'd opened up to him, and how he'd opened up to her. How she'd helped him break into the Gryffindor common room. The concern and worry that she'd felt for him the day she couldn't find him at the Shrieking Shack the next time she'd gone to visit him. How she'd discovered she was in love with him with the help of the Boggart. How she'd attacked Snape to keep Sirius safe. How Pettigrew had escaped. How she and Harry had used the Time-Turner to help Sirius and Buckbeak escape. How they'd finally confessed their love for each other. And finally, she told about how Sirius had sent her the promise ring. "After that, it was nearly torture to have to spend so much time away from him, after having had him so close for a year. I'm glad that Dumbledore was able to get him at the school for and after the Yule Ball. Although, considering that Sirius was used in the second task, I don't think that it was entirely Dumbledore's idea to keep Sirius at the school after that. Anyway, Sirius proposed the night of the Yule Ball, and helped me prepare for the third task, and then that night we left the castle together to warn people about Voldemort's return. You know what happened after that, you were at the wedding." Legacy smiled at the other woman.

"That's beautiful, Legacy." Tonks said, smiling in return.

"I think that I've earned the answer to my question now." Legacy teased.

"I'm in love with Remus." Tonks said shortly, and Legacy smiled broadly.

"I always told him that he'd meet the right woman someday." Legacy said, and Tonks shook her head.

"The problem is that so damn noble and self-sacrificing. He keeps on telling me that we'd never work because he's too old, and too poor, and using his… condition as an excuse."

"I'm so sorry, Tonks." Legacy said, and out a hand on Tonks' arm. "There's nothing that you can do except not give up. He'll come around eventually, you'll see."

"But what if he doesn't?" Tonks asked, and tears filled her eyes. "What if he never accepts it, and I spend the rest of my life pining away for a man who won't ever be with me?"

"I guess that's a risk you'll just have to take." Legacy said, feeling useless at the moment.

"He told me that he loves me too, and I think that just makes it worse." Tonks said, and put her face in her hands.

"That makes it better." Legacy said, and Tonks scoffed. "If he didn't feel anything for you, it would make it difficult for you to convince him to do anything. Since he loves you, it might make this easier. He can't deny his feelings forever."

"You're probably right." Tonks sighed. "It's just that it feels like I'm never making any headway with this, and that's why I've been acting oddly all year. And knowing that anything could happen to him, being where he is at the moment, doesn't help any either."

"I understand feeling that way. When Sirius was on the run, I was worried sick. I was so relieved to see him."

"How is Remus doing? Does he look well?"

"He's a bit thin, but he doesn't look any worse for wear."

"How is his assignment going?"

"Not so great, from what he was saying. Others got there before him, and he hasn't had much luck in showing them the better path."

"I can't exactly blame them, though, for not wanting to come over to our side, after what the wizarding world has done to them." Tonks said, and sighed. "Thanks for talking to me. I really needed that."

"Anytime, Tonks. You're my friend, and I want to see you happy." Legacy replied.

"It's probably about time we got back, isn't it?" Tonks said, standing. Legacy reached into her pocket and dropped some coins on the table, then stood and followed Tonks back to the Auror Office.

On Ron's birthday, he had accidentally eaten some candy laced with a Love Potion, and Harry had taken him down to Slughorn's office to get him treated. After that, Slughorn had opened a bottle of mead and Ron had been badly poisoned. Harry had thankfully grabbed a bezoar and shoved it into Ron's mouth, saving his life. Arthur and Molly had went down to the school as soon as they heard, and were still there. Legacy hadn't heard about it until she'd gotten home that afternoon. Ron was going to make a full recovery, according to all accounts, which was good to hear.

"But there's something funny about all this." Sirius was saying, sitting at the kitchen table with Legacy and Arthur. "The necklace, too, was supposed to end up being given to someone else. But neither of them ended up getting to whomever was supposed to receive them, right?"

"That's a scary thought." Arthur said.

"This person isn't worried about other people getting hurt in their attempt to reach their victim." Legacy added.

"Both attacks were meant to be fatal, and they weren't due to pure luck." Sirius said, looking around the table. "Who do we all know at Hogwarts that someone would want dead?"

"That's easy. Dumbledore." Arthur said.

"Or Harry." Legacy added. "He's just as involved in this as Dumbledore is, isn't he?"

"Just to be safe, I think that you should be careful about what you eat, and where, and with who." Sirius said to Legacy.

"Why me? I'm one of the safest people out of the lot of us."

"What if Voldemort changed his mind about you?" Sirius asked, and Arthur shuddered. "Maybe he's decided that you're a lost cause."

"I don't think he's ever given up on something after he's been denied it once or twice. I don't think he's going to kill me, he's arrogant. If anything else, he'll try to turn me."

"I think Sirius is right here, Legacy." Arthur said. "And even if he isn't, it's better safe than sorry, right?"

"Fine. I'll check for poisons before I eat or drink anything, and I won't accept packages from strangers." Legacy said, looking from Sirius to Arthur. "Will that suffice?"

"For now, yes. Until it becomes clear who the intended victim is, we all need to be careful." Arthur said.

"Or until this person is caught." Legacy added, and the men both nodded.

"Legacy, leetle James, 'e is crying." Fleur swept into the kitchen, carrying a squalling James. Legacy took him from the other woman.

"He's just looking for attention, I think." Legacy said, looking him over. Just to be safe, she tried nursing him, but he didn't latch on for long.

"He just misses his mum." Arthur said. He was only teasing, but it still made Legacy feel like a horrible mother. Her son was ten months old, and she barely spent any time with him. After her Auror training was completed, hopefully that would change. She held James close against her, and his fussing stopped.

"I'm so sorry, baby." She whispered into his hair. James settled against her chest, contented. Legacy rubbed his back, and he fell asleep shortly. Legacy had missed being with her son, but she hadn't realized exactly how much she'd missed it. She went upstairs and put her son to bed, then stood beside his bed, just watching him.

"I thought you'd be up here." Sirius said, entering the room. "Is everything okay?"

"No, nothing's okay." Legacy said, tears filling her eyes. "My son isn't even a year old, and I spend more time in a day away from him then with him. I feel like a terrible mother."

"You're a wonderful mother, Legacy, and a wonderful wife." Sirius stepped behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. "You're not doing anything wrong. You'd probably go crazy sitting in here all day, though."

"Maybe a little bit." Legacy admitted, smiling slightly.

"Come on, I can help you to think of something else." Sirius murmured into her hair. Legacy turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing his mouth down to hers.

Legacy took Arthur and Sirius' words to heart, and made sure to cast a spell before eating, checking for poisons. Mad-Eye gave her some tips to avoid being poisoned, and she put them into practice. She got some odd looks from others at the Ministry, but Legacy didn't mind. She wasn't about to let James grow up without a mother. There was little bad news from the school from that point on, other than the fact that Hagrid's pet Acromantula, Aragog, had died. From what Legacy had heard about the spider from Ron and Harry, it didn't sound like it was actually much of a loss. Legacy had missed a period, and she wondered if she was pregnant, but she didn't linger on the thought. She was nearly finished her Auror training, and she wanted to complete it before summer came. She wanted to be able to get out and fight, not spend her days cooped up in an office. She pushed herself just as hard as she had when she'd been learning to become an Animagus, and it didn't go unnoticed. She had bags under her eyes, but she wasn't losing weight, at least. Molly made sure that Legacy was well-fed. Legacy missed another period in May, and considered telling Sirius about it, but she didn't want to raise his hopes and have it turn out that she wasn't pregnant. On the twentieth of June, Legacy was called into Robards' office. Legacy was slightly nervous. She racked her brain, but she couldn't think of anything that she'd done wrong, but her trepidation grew regardless. The door to Robards' office was open, but she tapped on the door anyway. He looked up at her and smiled. Legacy saw that Scrimgeour was in the office as well, and she swallowed her fear. What was the Minister doing here? Was he here about her?

"Come in, Black. There's something we wanted to discuss with you." Robards said, and Legacy nodded before stepping into the room. "I haven't spoken to you much since you arrived. I hope you don't think it too forward of me to call you Black."

"No, that's fine. It's just something that I'm still getting used to. Most people call me Legacy, and I think you and Mad-Eye are the only ones that actually call me Black."

"That sounds like him." Scrimgeour said, smiling.

"What did you need to see me for?" Legacy asked, drawing their attention back to the reason she was there.

"No beating around the bush with you, huh?" Robards said. "Well, you're not in trouble, if that's what you're thinking."

"That's good to hear." Legacy said, and she smiled, relaxing.

"Usually we have a big ceremony for this, but seeing as you're the only one that's ready at this point, having the Minister here will suffice. I'll put up notices around the Auror's Office, and tell the other Department Heads about it, and then everyone who needs to know will know." Robards said, then pulled and envelope out of a drawer on his desk and laid it on the desk top.

"Know what?" Legacy asked.

"Why don't you open the envelope and find out?" Scrimgeour said, and Legacy walked towards the desk. She saw that the envelope had her name on it – _Legacy Black_ was written on it in a small, tight script. She opened it and a silver badge was inside with some papers. She pulled out the badge, and embossed onto its face was _DMLE_ in blue letters. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She looked from the Minister to Robards, waiting for one of them to speak. When neither of them did, she decided to speak.

"Is this what I think it is?" Legacy asked quietly.

"Well, that depends." Scrimgeour said. "If you think it means that you're one of the youngest full Aurors we've ever had, then yes, it's what you think it is." Legacy sank into the chair across from Robards, completely shocked.

"I hadn't thought that I'd be completed this already." Legacy said, and Robards chuckled wryly.

"We hadn't thought that anyone would be completed already. But you proved us all wrong."

"Inside the envelope you'll also find paperwork that needs to be filled out. When you get here on Monday, you'll have your own cubicle set up. Please bring that paperwork back, completed, as well." Scrimgeour said, and Legacy nodded numbly.

"You all right, Black?" Robards asked.

"I don't know." Legacy said honestly. "I wanted to finish for so long, I pushed so hard to get this done. My son just turned a year old, and I haven't seen him hardly at all this year. And I found out this morning that I'm pregnant again. I haven't even had a chance to tell Sirius yet."

"Well, congratulations. We'll do what we can so that you can have more time at home. I think there's a work-at-home program that mothers with young children and pregnant women can do." Robards said. "You don't have to stay the rest of the day. Please get that filled out over the weekend, and don't forget your badge on Monday. You still need to come in, at least until we get this all sorted out."

"Thank you, sir." Legacy said, standing. Robards stood and shook her hand.

"Please, just call me Robards."

Legacy returned to the Burrow, and Sirius, James, and Molly were all in the living room.

"Legacy, you're early today." Sirius said, standing. "Nothing's wrong, is it?" Legacy shook her head and help up her badge. "You got it!" Sirius shouted, and swept Legacy up into his arms. "Molly, she's and Auror!"

"That's wonderful news!" Molly said, smiling.

"There's something else." Legacy said, and looked up at Sirius. "I'm pregnant."

"You're sure?" Sirius asked, his smile flickering on his face.

"Yes, I found out this morning. I used that spell Molly taught us."

"Two things to celebrate!" Sirius said, smiling broadly. His smile faltered a moment. "It's too bad that Remus can't come."

"Why don't we celebrate tomorrow night? I've got this paperwork to fill out, and I want to get it done before I forget about it."

"We can do that." Sirius said, and Legacy raised a brow at him.

"That means you can't say anything until then." Legacy said, and Sirius groaned. Legacy laughed and pressed a kiss on his lips before going upstairs. It didn't take long, it was just about personal affects and beneficiaries. Sirius was downstairs playing with James, and Molly was out in the garden. Legacy made a spur-of-the-moment decision, and sat down to write Sirius a quick note.

_Sirius, I'm going to go visit Remus. The full moon was last week, so the werewolves shouldn't be much danger to me. I won't shift back until I know that it's safe. I'll not be long. I love you._

She left the note on a pillow, then but the envelope with her badge and paperwork on the desk. She walked to the window and shifted, then launched herself into the air. It felt as though it had been ages since she'd flown, and when she thought about it, she realized that it had indeed been quite some time since she'd been in her eagle form. There wasn't much use for it anymore, and she still hadn't registered herself as an Animagus with the Ministry, and neither had Sirius. She flew north, because that was where Remus had said that the werewolves were. It took a bit longer than she'd originally thought it would, and it was twilight before she arrived at the caves that Remus had said he was at. She saw a group of people around a fire, and landed on a tree nearby so as to listen in on their conversation.

"I still think that we should kill the wizard." A large male was saying, and a female shook her head.

"He's one of us. That's our most important law, remember? _No werewolf shall raise hand or claw or tooth against one of their brothers or sisters._" She said, and some of the others nodded. "Even Greyback is abiding by our laws."

"Times change. Those laws were written centuries ago, and I think it's time that we had some new ones." The male growled.

"He hasn't done anything wrong. He was raised away from us, and doesn't know the laws, and even so he's been nothing but polite." The female said.

"What, you like the weakling or something?" The male said, sneering.

"No." She shuddered. "I could never mate with one such as him. He's a weakling, as you say, and I would never take a wizard as a mate regardless."

"Then why can't we kill him?"

"Because it would be wrong. Don't you have any self-respect? You would kill someone in their sleep?"

"Of course not. I'd at least challenge him."

"You can't do that. You can only challenge the pack leader." The female said. "And we all know how it would turn out if you were to challenge me." The male growled and rubbed his side.

"Fine. I'll leave the wizard be. For now." The group fell into silence, and Legacy wasn't impressed. She hadn't learned anything. She could fly past the caves all night and still not find Remus. Just as she was about to give up, she saw him walking through the trees. It appeared that he'd also been listening in on them talking, and she waited as he snuck away. When she felt that he was far enough away for it to be safe, she left her perch and flew towards him. He entered a small cave, and she dove in behind him. Remus finally noticed her, and his eyes widened.

"Legacy, what are you doing here?" He whispered. He stepped back towards the entrance and looked around. Legacy shifted into human form and stretched.

"I came to see you." Legacy responded.

"Go further into the cave. You can't be seen." Remus whispered, and followed her in. "I've cleared out most of the rocks, so it should be safe enough."

"I can't see anything." Legacy whispered. "I can't even see you." Remus put a hand on her elbow and guided her further into the cave.

"We should be safe enough now." Remus lit his wand. "What are you doing here? It's not safe."

"Your kin don't seem to like you." Legacy said, and Remus chuckled.

"You listened too, I take it?" He asked, and Legacy nodded. "I haven't had any luck convincing them that they shouldn't listen to Greyback. They're all either too scared to go against him, or else they agree with what he's saying. I have to admit, I never really thought I'd have much of a chance."

"So why do you stay? Your life is in danger."

"I don't think any of them would go against the pack leader."

"That one male seemed to think otherwise. What if it gets to the point where he doesn't care what she thinks? Or if someone challenges her, and wins?"

"She's one of the strongest werewolves I've ever seen. I don't think any other would have a chance against her." Remus frowned down at her. "But you changed the subject. You still haven't told me why you're here."

"I finished my training. I'm full-fledged now." Legacy decided to be extra careful about not throwing around the word 'Auror', just in case someone was listening.

"That's good to hear." Remus said, smiling. "But I don't think you'd come all the way out here just for that."

"I'm pregnant." Legacy said, and Remus' smile grew.

"That's wonderful news! Congratulations!"

"Thank you." Legacy said, smiling in return. "And there's a few other things. Sirius misses you, you know."

"I know. He's one of the only friends I've ever had."

"And I spoke to Tonks." Legacy said, and Remus rubbed his face.

"How is Tonks doing?" He asked softly, not looking at her.

"There's some trouble with Metamorphosing. Tonks has completely changed. Where there was laughter, there's severity now." Legacy put a hand on his arm. "You love her, don't you?"

"Of course I do, how couldn't I? She's a wonderful woman, and needs someone better than me." Remus snapped.

"She doesn't want someone else, Remus. She wants you. She's not doing well, Remus, and neither are you. That's the reason you haven't come back yet, isn't it? You don't want to run into her."

"Yes. I don't want to hurt her."

"You're hurting her by ignoring her. She's in Hogsmeade most of the time, and hardly ever stops at the Burrow. I see her at the Ministry all the time, and Robards is always on her case about work performance. She's not doing well."

"What do you want me to do, Legacy? I can't be what she wants me to be." Remus said, throwing his arms into the air. "I'm a werewolf. I can't provide her with what a woman needs."

"Only because you're scared." Legacy said. "You're scared that if you open your heart to her, she'll change her mind later and hurt you. But that's what life is about. Sometimes you get burned. But I don't think that's going to happen. I think you need to give her a chance."

"Look at you. The youngest person in the Order, and you're giving all of us older folks advice." Remus said wryly.

"Not Mad-Eye. He's given me a few pointers, though." Legacy said.

"I don't think he'd even listen if you tried giving him advice."

"I think that you shouldn't stay here. If our pack leader asks, I'll vouch for you."

"You may be right. With Greyback here, some of them are growing restless, as you may have seen." Remus dimmed his wand and took her elbow again. "Let's get you out of here."

"It would mean a lot to Sirius to see you tomorrow. That's when we're sharing the news with the others."

"I'll do what I can." Remus said. "Wait here. I'll make sure the coast is clear. You should shift, though." He released her elbow and she heard his footsteps as he approached the mouth of the cave. She shifted and hopped forwards. She saw him wave her forwards. She leapt into the air, and paused beside him a moment before leaving. "Good night, Legacy."

The sun was just coming up when she got back to the Burrow. Sirius had apparently tried to wait up for her, because he was sleeping in a chair in the living room. She smiled then woke him up.

"Legacy?" He murmured sleepily. He opened his eyes and saw that it was her, then jumped out of the chair and wrapped his arms around her. "What the hell were you thinking?" Sirius demanded. "Just taking off into a den of werewolves, with no idea what the situation was!" Sirius grabbed her shoulders. "You shouldn't have done that! What if you'd gotten hurt?"

"No one but Remus even saw me." Legacy said, trying to calm him. "I was careful."

"Sometimes careful isn't enough, Legacy!" Sirius shouted. "I was worried sick! The only reason I didn't tear out of here after you was because I knew that I'd never catch up to you. But believe me, I was tempted to simply Apparate over there."

"I'm glad that you didn't. They're already considering killing Remus. You showing up wouldn't have helped."

"What do you mean? Is he in danger?" Sirius asked. Legacy told him what had happened, only withholding information about Tonks' and Remus' feeling for each other.

"So it wasn't such a bad idea, me going out there." Legacy said.

"Just promise me that you'll never do anything that reckless ever again."

"What if I do it with you?" Legacy teased.

"Well, I guess that's fine." Sirius said. "I'm sorry I freaked out on you. I was just worried."

"That's fine. I guess I deserved it." Legacy said, yawning.

"You must be exhausted. Come on, I'll get you to bed." Sirius took her hand and led her up the stairs. James was standing in his crib and babbled at them.

"Looks like someone is already up." James had been weaned for a while, but still enjoyed to lay in his mother's arms from time to time. She lifted the boy from his crib and held him close.

"I'll take him downstairs and get him some breakfast." Sirius offered, stepping towards her.

"In a minute." Legacy murmured. She held her son close, reveling in him. She'd missed a few of his milestones while undergoing Auror training, and it had hurt. James wrapped his arms around her.

"Mum." James said, and tears filled Legacy's eyes.

"I wish I could have been here for all his milestones." Legacy murmured, and Sirius wrapped his arms around his wife and son. "It's going to be different with this one." Legacy put a hand on her womb. "I'm going to see all of them."

"We both will." Sirius promised. James was now wriggling, wanting down. Legacy put him down, and he took a few unsteady steps before falling on his rear. He only laughed, then crawled out of the room. "I'll let you get some sleep." Sirius kissed her before leaving the room, and Legacy changed and crawled into bed, falling asleep nearly immediately.

When Legacy woke, the sun was high in the sky. She guessed that it was about one or two in the afternoon. She dressed and went downstairs. She saw Sirius standing in the living room talking to someone. Sirius saw her and smiled, waving her into the room. His companion turned, and a smile crossed his face.

"Remus! I'm so glad that you made it!" Legacy exclaimed, smiling broadly. "Did you have any trouble?"

"No. It's not like I advertised my intentions to leave." Remus said. "The pack leader stopped to see me last night to warn me that the others might be out for my blood, and I took that as another reason to leave." Remus said.

"Well, that was certainly nice of her." Legacy said.

"Wait, the leader of the werewolves is a woman?" Sirius asked, dumbfounded.

"What, you don't think that women can make good leaders?" Legacy teased.

"I'm not saying that, I was just wondering. They're werewolves and all, so I assume it's a strength-based hierarchy. How does a woman gain power in there?"

"Don't underestimate women, Sirius. After all, in most species, the woman is larger than the male, and that's true for werewolves, too." Remus said.

"How long have you been here?" Legacy asked.

"I haven't been here long. When are the others arriving?"

"It'll be a few hours yet." Sirius said, then looked at Molly's clock. Bill, Fred, George, Charlie, Percy and Arthur were all pointed at 'work'. Charlie was still in Romania, and Percy was still not talking to the family, so no one was expecting either of them. Fleur was also at work. Legacy gave Sirius a quick kiss and hugged Remus before stepping into the kitchen to help Molly.

"I invited Tonks as well, I hope that's not going to be an issue." She said, nodding her head towards the other room.

"I don't think so. Did Tonks tell you?" Legacy asked.

"She didn't need to. Whenever someone mentions him, it's obvious." Molly said. "Have you talked to him about it?" Legacy cast a Muffliato charm before telling Molly what she'd withheld from Sirius the night before, as well as the conversation she'd had with Tonks. "They're just being stubborn. Mark my words, they'll be married before the year's out." Molly said sagely.

"You're singing to the choir here." At Molly's confused look, Legacy explained. "I'm agreeing with you. It's a Muggle saying." Molly shook her head, and Legacy stepped forwards to help, but Molly stopped her. "This is a celebration for you and Sirius. I'm not about to let you help."

"If you say so. I'll go and see what James is up to." Legacy found her son outside, trying to chase the garden gnomes. Sirius and Remus came outside, and they spent the afternoon chasing the gnomes towards James, and de-gnoming the garden. James fell over in fits of giggles as gnomes flew through the air.

"I wonder if our house is going to be like this one day." Sirius said, looking around.

"Filled with love and laughter, with magic hiding around every corner? I hope so." Legacy said, smiling.

"You're not the only one." He replied. The rest of the Weasleys arrived at nearly the same time, and last was Bill and Fleur. Everyone entered the kitchen, and somehow Tonks and Remus had ended up sitting next to each other. Legacy looked at Molly, who winked conspiratorially at her. Legacy shook her head.

"What's up?" Fred asked, looking around the kitchen.

"Don't keep us in suspense." George added.

"I have two pieces of news." Legacy said, standing. She had pinned her badge onto her chest, and Tonks was the first to realize what it meant.

"Oh my Merlin!" She shouted. "Congratulations!"

"I was made a full-fledged Auror on Friday." Legacy announced, and the others shouted their congratulations.

"So what's the other one?" George asked.

"I bet she's pregnant again." Fred teased, smiling.

"Who told you?" Legacy asked, mock-pouting.

"Told me what?" Fred asked.

"I'm pregnant." Legacy said, smiling. Cheers erupted around the table.

"You two trying to beat Mum and Dad?" George teased.

"When are you due?" asked Tonks.

"Sometime around Christmas, I think." Legacy said. Everyone congratulated her, although Fleur's congratulations sounded somewhat stiff, and her smile didn't reach her eyes. Legacy made a note to ask her about that later. There was laughter around the table, even from Remus and Tonks. Legacy sometimes caught one of them staring at the other, but she appeared to be the only one who noticed besides Molly. Everything beyond those walls was forgotten as they all enjoyed each other's company. After dinner they went to the living room.

"Do you know what it is yet?" Bill asked, and Legacy shook her head.

"We didn't find out with James until he popped out. We want it to be a surprise." Legacy informed him.

"Aren't you even the littlest bit curious?" Remus asked.

"I know I am." Sirius said, scooping James up off the floor. "But we decided that we don't want to know until they actually arrive."

"Are you thinking of names yet?" Tonks asked.

"We didn't pick out names last time, but we were able to decide on a name quickly enough." Legacy said.

"What if it was a girl?" Molly asked.

"I honestly have no idea what we'd name a girl." Legacy said. "If I named a daughter after every single female that I know and love, it would be a long name. Then I wouldn't be able to decide on a first name. I'd feel like that might cause tension among my friends."

"I don't think so, but it's a valid theory." Tonks said. James was falling asleep, and Tonks needed to be back at Hogsmeade in the morning. As Tonks walked towards the door, Legacy subtly ushered everyone else but Remus from the room. She couldn't force them to talk, but she could try, at least. She could hear voices from the other room, and smiled to herself before heading upstairs.

It wasn't long after that night that she heard from Dumbledore. She, Tonks, Remus and Bill were going to be on guard at Hogwarts. Sirius wanted to come along, but Dumbledore insisted that it was just a precaution, and that nothing was going to happen, so Sirius reluctantly agreed to stay behind.

"If something happens, I'll be there as fast as I can." Sirius promised.

"I know you will. Take care of James." Legacy said, and kissed him.

"Take care of yourself. And this one." Sirius said, rubbing her belly. James tugged on Legacy's pants.

"Mum?" He asked, and Legacy picked him up.

"Mum's going out for a bit. She's got to make sure that other little boys and girls are safe, too. Take care of Daddy, and be a good boy." She handed James to Sirius before walking out the door. She Apparated to Hogwarts and sent a Patronus up to the castle to let them know that she'd arrived. Snape was the one that came down to unlock the gate for her.

"Ah, Mrs Black." He said, tapping the chains around the gate with his wand. The gates opened, and Legacy stepped onto the grounds. The gates clanked shut behind her and the chains snaked back through the bars. "You know your way from here, I take it." He said, and turned to leave.

"Severus, wait." Legacy said. He turned back around. "I know that you and Sirius don't get along, but that doesn't mean that we have to be like that."

"You attacked me." He said bluntly.

"You were going to hand an innocent man over to the Dementors." Legacy replied. "And I loved him. I wasn't going to let anything happen to him."

"Is there a point you are trying to prove here?"

"I don't see why there's a reason that we can't be friends. Or be civil to each other, at the very least." Snape didn't say anything. "You can't tell me that you wouldn't do anything to protect the people you love." At that, Snape flinched slightly.

"You have me there." He took a deep breath. "I don't think that your husband will approve of you even speaking to me, however."

"Love isn't about one person making all the rules. It's about compromise."

"It's not like that with everyone."

"That's the way it is. If it's not like that, then it's not love."

"We should move on." Snape said, and Legacy nodded. They walked up to the castle in silence. Tonks, Remus and Bill were in the Entrance Hall. "I will return to my office." Snape said, and left before they could respond.

"I'm surprised that Sirius let you come." Remus said.

"It wasn't easy to convince him." Legacy replied.

"So we're supposed to patrol?" Bill asked, and Tonks nodded.

"Just like any other night that Dumbledore's been away." The four of them split up to patrol separate parts of the castle. Legacy wandered through the castle, and eventually bumped into Ron, Ginny, and Neville.

"Hello, Legacy. What are you doing here?" Ginny asked.

"Dumbledore's gone, so Remus, Tonks, Bill and I are on guard duty at the castle." Legacy replied. "What are you three doing up? Where's Harry and Hermione?" Ron explained that Harry was with Dumbledore, and that he thought that Malfoy was in the Room of Requirement, trying to find a way to let the Death Eaters into the castle.

"Anyway, we've been here about an hour. Hermione's down at Snape's office with Luna." A moment later, a door appeared on the wall. Malfoy came out of the door holding what looked like an arm. He snarled and threw something into the air. The air turned black, and Legacy couldn't see anything.

"Don't cast any spells!" Legacy shouted. "Keep your wands down!" The four of them made their way down the hall, trying to get back into the light. By the time they did, Malfoy was gone. "I think that Harry was right. Malfoy's definitely up to something."

"We have to find out where he went." Ginny said, and Legacy nodded. She led the way down the corridor, and they found Remus, Tonks and Bill.

"Malfoy's up to something. I found these three outside the Room of Requirement, and Malfoy threw something in the air to make it dark. We have to find out where he went."

"We haven't seen anything yet." Bill said.

"Then let's get going." Tonks said, pulling out her wand. The seven of them ran through the castle and found Malfoy minutes later. He was with a group of people, and Legacy recognized a few of them as known Death Eaters. One of them bolted up the stairs, and Ron pointed at him.

"Those are the stairs to the Astronomy Tower!" he shouted. One of the Death Eaters cast a spell at him, and Ron ducked. Legacy pushed the students into cover.

"We want to fight too!" Ginny protested.

"You can fight, just stay low!" Legacy said, and cast a spell at the Death Eaters. The other three guards were fighting the Death Eaters. Looking around, Legacy knew that she and the others were outnumbered. She tried to stay in cover as she fired spells at the Death Eaters. She saw Bill go down, but she couldn't get to him. She watched as Death Eaters made their way to the stairs to the Astronomy Tower. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Neville run towards the stairs.

"Neville, don't!" Remus shouted, but it was too late. Neville had reached the bottom of the stairs and bounced off of something, and he was launched backwards. Legacy ran over to him. He was rattled, but nothing was broken. She looked around for Bill, but he hadn't gotten up yet. She saw him lying on the floor, but she only recognized him because of his flame-red hair. His face had been torn open. She rushed over to him, but her spells weren't working.

"Dammit!" Legacy growled. She looked around and saw Snape. He made his way across the room and up the stairs to the Tower. The barrier that had repelled Neville didn't affect him. Remus ran after him, but he was thrown backwards. Legacy decided to get Bill out of harm's way before rejoining the fight. She grabbed him underneath the arms and dragged him out of the room, leaning him against a wall. It wasn't as easy as she'd thought it would be, Bill was a bit taller than she was. When she returned, she saw that Remus was up, and appeared to be fine. There were still a few Death Eaters that hadn't gone up the stairs yet. There was one standing at the foot of the stairs, throwing hexes at anything that moved. Legacy looked for the others, and saw Ginny and Ron protecting Neville, who appeared to have been injured. She rushed towards them.

"Where's Bill?" Ginny asked.

"I put him in the other room. He'll be safe enough there. Did you see what happened to him?"

"Greyback." Ginny growled.

"It's not the full moon. Bill's going to be fine." Legacy said, then turned to Neville. "What happened to him?"

"We don't know for sure." Ron said. "After he charged at the barrier he got back into the fight, then someone must have hit him with a spell."

"I don't want to risk hurting him more. We'll have to wait for Madam Pomfrey." There was an ominous crumbling noise, and Legacy looked up. Cracks were spreading across the ceiling.

"That idiot hit the roof with a hex!" Ron said, glaring at the Death Eater.

"Ron, help me with Neville." Legacy grabbed Neville's shoulders, and Ron grabbed his feet. Together, they carried Neville out of the room, and put him beside Bill. Legacy left Ron and Ginny there, then rushed back into the room. Half the ceiling had fallen in, and it appeared that the barrier on the stairs had disappeared.

"Come on!" Tonks shouted, running towards the stairs. Snape and Malfoy came down the stairs, and headed out of the castle. The Death Eaters appeared right on their heels, and the fight was back on. Legacy was trying to stay out of it as much as possible, but it was getting difficult to do. Snape was shouting something, but she couldn't make out what it was. Suddenly the Death Eaters were running out of the room. Legacy let the others chase them down, instead taking Bill and Neville up to the hospital wing. Hermione and Luna were already up there with Flitwick.

"Legacy, where are the others?" Hermione asked.

"They went after the Death Eaters. We've had a couple injuries." Legacy explained. "Someone get Pomona. I don't know what to do for Bill." Legacy laid Neville in one bed, and Bill in another. Remus was the next to arrive in the hospital wing, then Tonks. Madam Pomfrey was doing the best she could for Bill, but there wasn't much to be done. Legacy sat down on a chair and waited for the others to arrive. Dumbledore wouldn't be long, she thought, he would have seen the Dark Mark over the school and would have everything put to rights soon enough. She looked up when Harry and Ginny entered the hospital wing.

"Where's Dumbledore?" Legacy asked, and Harry's face fell.

"He's dead. Snape killed him." Harry said numbly. Harry told them what had happened. He and Dumbledore had just gotten to the Astronomy Tower, and Malfoy was waiting for them. He'd Disarmed Dumbledore, and not long afterwards, the Death Eaters he'd brought into the castle had arrived, and began to egg Malfoy on. Snape had arrived last, and Dumbledore had pleaded with him, and Snape killed him anyway. After everything that Dumbledore had done for him, Snape had killed him. Part of Legacy felt as though this was some kind of sick joke; that Dumbledore was going to walk through the door at any moment. But another part of her knew that Harry wouldn't joke about something like this for all the gold in Gringott's. What were they going to do without Dumbledore? He'd been the only person that Voldemort had ever feared. She felt hopeless, like there was nothing left to do but give up. The others were telling Harry what had happened while he'd been chasing down Snape.

"Molly and Arthur are on their way." McGonagall was saying. Legacy wondered if Fleur was coming with them. She looked up as the older woman walked towards her. "Sirius is coming as well."

"Thank you." Legacy said, and the woman nodded and walked away. She didn't have to wait long, a few minutes later the doors to the hospital wing burst open, causing everyone to jump. Legacy barely registered that Molly and Arthur had indeed brought Fleur; she only had eyes for Sirius. He was trailing the others, and rushed over to her once he saw her. He was carrying James. She stood and walked towards him. "It's good to see you." She wrapped her arms around him and their son, and he held her tightly.

"I'm glad to see that you're all right." He said. "I was worried sick."

"Mum!" James shouted, and grabbed a handful of her hair.

"Mum's happy to see you too, James." Legacy took him from Sirius and held him close.

"And what do you mean by zat?" Fleur shouted, and Legacy jumped. She turned and saw that Fleur was glaring at Molly. "What do you mean, 'e was _going_ to be married?" Molly raised her tear stained face, looking startled.

"Well – only that –"

"You theenk Bill will not weesh to marry me anymore?" Fleur demanded. "You theenk, because of these bites, 'e will not love me?"

"No, that's not what I –"

"Because 'e will! It would take more zan a werewolf to stop Bill loving me!"

"Well, yes, I'm sure. But I thought perhaps – given how – how he –"

"You thought I would not weesh to marry 'im? Or, per'aps, you 'oped?" Fleur said, her nostrils flaring. "What do I care 'ow 'e looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my 'usband is brave!" Legacy looked from Fleur to Molly, waiting to see how Molly would respond.

"Our Great Auntie Muriel has a very beautiful tiara – goblin-made – which I am sure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is very fond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair." Molly said slowly.

"Thank you. I am sure zat will be lovely." Fleur said stiffly. And then, both women were crying and hugging each other. Legacy smiled, relieved that Fleur had finally been accepted by Molly, but sad that it had taken Bill being mauled by Greyback to accomplish this. Remus didn't know how bad the side-effects could be of this, seeing as it wasn't the full moon, but he was sure that Bill would likely have some wolfish traits from now on. Remus stepped back and Tonks walked up to him.

"You see!" She demanded, glaring up at him. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!"

"It's different. Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely –"

"But I don't care either, I don't care!" Tonks said. "I've told you a million times."

"And I've told _you _a million times," Remus refused to meet her eyes and stared at the floor, "that I am too old for you… too poor… too dangerous…"

"I've said all along that you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus." Molly said over Fleur's shoulder.

"I am not being ridiculous. She deserves someone young and whole." Remus said adamantly.

"But she wants you." Arthur said with a small smile. "After all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so." He gestured sadly at his son, lying between them.

"She also deserves to be able to make her own decisions." Sirius said. "She's made her choice, and she's willing to live with it."

"This is… not the moment to discuss it." Remus said, avoiding everybody's eyes as he looked around distractedly. "Dumbledore is dead…"

"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to know there was a little more love in the world." McGonagall said curtly, just as the hospital doors opened and Hagrid walked in. What little of his face wasn't obscured by his hair or beard was shaking and swollen; he was shaking with tears, a great spotted handkerchief in his hand.

"I've… I've done it, Professor." He choked. "M – moved him. Professor Sprout's got the kids back in bed. Professor Flitwick's lyin' down, but he says he'll be all right in a jiffy, an' Professor Slughorn says the Ministry's bin informed."

"Thank you, Hagrid. I shall have to see the Ministry when they get here." McGonagall had a few more orders for Hagrid, then took Harry to speak to him privately. When McGonagall, Harry and Hagrid left the room, silence fell on those remaining for a while.

"They'll probably toss around the idea of closing the school." Remus said, breaking the silence.

"I don't think that they will. It's unlikely that all of the students will return next year, but they're not going to close the school." Legacy said.

"But we have to face the facts. With Dumbledore gone, Hogwarts isn't as safe as it was before."

"Are their homes any safer? Even those with magical parents?"

"Probably not."

"Hogwarts has enchantments on it that normal houses won't. This is the safest place for students to be."

"Let's just hope that parents can see that, too." Remus said, and it was silent again. Not long after that, Hagrid returned to send them all off to bed, and to offer beds to the non-students, if they would like them. Fleur had declared her intentions to stay with Bill all night, and Madam Pomfrey had allowed it. The rest of them had also decided to stay, and Hagrid showed them all to guest quarters.

A few days later Dumbledore's funeral was held at the school, where he would be laid to rest. Madame Maxime flew in from France, and a delegation of Ministry officials had arrived, including Fudge. There were a lot of people there, and Legacy didn't recognize a lot of them. The Centaurs and Merpeople were even in attendance, and all of the members of the Order of the Phoenix were in attendance. Some parents had come to collect their children, so not all of the students were there, and all of the teachers were there. The Merpeople began to sing a strange, haunting tune full of sorrow. Legacy didn't understand the song but she understood the meaning behind it. Hagrid walked down the aisle between the chairs, carrying Dumbledore's body. It was wrapped in purple velvet adorned with golden stars. Legacy felt tears run down her cheeks but paid no attention to them. Hagrid placed his burden upon a table and went to his seat in the back, next to his half-brother Grawp. A short man stood in front of the table and began giving a speech.

"Mum?" James asked, touching her cheek.

"Shh, James. This is a quiet time." Thankfully, he seemed to understand and sat quietly. She kissed the top of his head and held him tightly. Sirius reached around and rubbed her back. She looked and saw that his face was lined with tears as well. When the man finished his speech, he went and sat down. Bright white flames erupted around Dumbledore's body and the table. They grew higher, obscuring the body. White smoke spiraled into the air, making strange shapes. When the fire vanished, in its place was a white marble tomb. The Centaurs sent a volley of arrows through the air in respect before they vanished into the forest. The Merpeople had finished their song and slipped under the water. After a few moments, the people around them began to speak amongst themselves. James was wriggling in her arms, so she set him on the ground and he began to walk around. She and Sirius stood together in silence, watching their son.

"This has to end soon." Sirius murmured, and Legacy looked over at him. He was still watching James. "I don't want to raise our children in a world where we have to fear for our lives, and theirs. I hadn't realized exactly how big of a risk that James and Lily were taking when they got married and had Harry, but now I do. I don't know how they hid their fear, but they did."

"There's not much that we can do. Harry won't tell us anything about the lessons he had with Dumbledore, beyond the fact that they were necessary if we want to see Voldemort die."

"I know, and it's killing me that I can't help him." Sirius sighed. "I failed James and Lily, I don't want to fail their son." Legacy slid an arm around her husband.

"You didn't fail them, Sirius. You were only doing what you thought was best."

"And look at where we are now. James and Lily are dead, and Voldemort is still in power."

"The wizarding world had a respite. If James and Lily were alive, I don't think we would have had that. We would never have met. There's a lot of things that wouldn't be the same if you'd been the Potters' Secret Keeper."

"I guess there are." Sirius leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I hadn't thought of that." They fell back into silence. James was very interested in Grawp and Hagrid, but Legacy was able to direct his attention towards one of his toys instead. She trusted Hagrid implicitly, but she wasn't so sure about Grawp. People were slowly trickling away, but the students, teachers, Order members and Ministry officials were mostly still there. Some of the students had left to finish packing their things. Legacy frowned slightly as Scrimgeour headed in their direction.

"Ah, there you are. I had wondered if you would be here." He said.

"Why wouldn't I be here? I had great respect for Dumbledore." Legacy replied. She felt James tugging on her robes and looked down.

"Mum!" He was holding something in his fist, and she knelt to inspect it. She smiled when she saw that it was a particularly shiny stone.

"That's wonderful, James. Are there any more?" She asked, and he wandered off again.

"That's your son?" Scrimgeour asked.

"Our son. He just turned one." Sirius had stepped beside Legacy. "I don't think that we've been officially introduced yet. I'm Sirius Black." He extended a hand, and there was a pause before Scrimgeour shook it.

"Rufus Scrimgeour." He looked up at the sky before speaking again. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

"There's no need to beat about the bush. We all know that you didn't come over here just to make small talk. What do you want?" Legacy asked brusquely.

"All right then. What do you know about the night Harry went with Dumbledore?" Scrimgeour asked.

"I assume that it had something to do with the fact that Harry's going to kill Voldemort." Sirius said, and smiled slightly when the Minister flinched. "Harry hasn't said anything to me that he hasn't told you. Dumbledore gave him his orders, and he's following them to the letter."

"That doesn't help us now. We need to know what they were doing out of the castle."

"Why do you need to know? All we need to know about that night is what Harry's told us. If Dumbledore told him not to speak of it, then he had a good reason." Legacy said.

"What might that be?"

"He would have hoped for the best and planned for the worst. If this had something to do with this 'Chosen One' nonsense, then it stands to reason that Dumbledore wouldn't want everyone to know about it. The man's never steered us wrong yet. At least respect his final wishes." Sirius said.

"I'm not going to get anywhere with the two of you, am I?" Scrimgeour asked, scowling.

"It's unlikely." Legacy said. She looked over his shoulder and saw Robards. "I see someone that I need to speak with. Good day, Minister." She picked up James and walked away, Sirius right behind her. "I cannot believe him. Trying to pump us for information at the funeral of the greatest wizard the world has ever known."

"There's not much that we can do to prevent that from happening. Things are going to get a lot worse." Sirius said. Legacy sighed and handed James to Sirius.

"I need to speak to Robards for a moment, and then we can leave if you want."

"I thought that you had all of your things set up for working at home?"

"I don't want to work at home. I want to resign." Legacy said, and Sirius grabbed her arm.

"Why are you resigning? I thought you liked it there." He asked. "Is something wrong?"

"With Dumbledore dead, we have to assume that it won't be long before Voldemort has his hands on the Ministry, in one way or another. I can't continue to work there and put everyone else at risk. We'll have to go into hiding."

"I understand. I'll let you go deal with him." Sirius said. Legacy smiled and walked over to Robards.

"Black, it's good to see you. That's your husband and son, then?" He asked, peering over at Sirius.

"Robards, I need to speak with you about something rather important. Privately, if we can."

"Come along, then." Robards walked down to the lakeside, and Legacy fell in beside him. "Are you resigning?" He asked, and Legacy looked over at him. "I'm not surprised. You have a young child with another one on the way. You won't want to be in the line of fire, directly or indirectly."

"I'm glad that you're taking this so well." Legacy said. "I was expecting you to try to convince me to stay on."

"No, not from me." Robards sighed. "Well, just in case I die, I'll leave a letter of recommendation for you to rejoin the Aurors at your earliest convenience. It's a damn shame we couldn't keep you, though. You've been one of our better recruits."

"I'm sorry, Robards. But I promise that if I'm still alive by the end of this, I'll go back to being an Auror."

"That's good to hear." Robards extended his hand, and Legacy shook it. "It's been nice knowing you, Legacy."

"You as well… Gawain."


End file.
